The Victors of District 12
by Alice Meri Fox
Summary: She won her games. It was over now, right? Her Mentor said other wise. A/n: I'm admitting now, I haven't read the books. This is based off of the movies.
1. Chapter 1

The Victors of District 12

The Games

She gave out heavy breaths as she watched the numbers countdown. She had a straight shot from one side of the cornucopia to the other, a backpack and a bow in her line of sight. Her Mentor had told her to run away from the Bloodbath, but she knew herself.

She could make it.

10 seconds left. A bomb went off to her left. The guy from 3 stupidly tried to run before the horn.

8 seconds. She made eye contact with the girl from 5 and the boys from 7 and 8. They had formed a cautionary alliance.

5 seconds. She cleared her mind and looked at her goals: bow, backpack, cover.

2 seconds. Breath in.

1 second. Breath out.

The horn blasted.

She ran like hell.

She grabbed the bow and quiver in one hand. A few steps later the other hand was filled with the soft texture of the backpack. She reached cover on the other side of the Bloodbath in time to see the boy from her district die. She left no time to mourn as the boy from 8 joined her with his own spear and pulled her along.

"Where are 5 and 7?"

"Headed a different direction. We'll meet them later."

She nodded and continued with him away from the Bloodbath. She shot an arrow through the boy from 11 as he ran at them grabbing the arrow as she passed, letting 8 finish him off.

They made it to a closed spaces where 5 and 7 found them. They had previously agreed that names made things too personal. Once they were the few left they were fair game to the others.

"12, 7, what's in the packs?" 5 looked at her questioningly.

She shrugged as she and 7 lowered themselves to the ground and started digging through them. The bags were full of things: a flask with water, a small piece of dried meat, a blanket/tarp, matches, a small container of healing paste.

12 repacked her things. "Suits are light. Packs have food and water. They probably want this short. I didn't see any kind of food, and we should find a water source."

"Let's go," 7 said picking up his own repacked bag and axe. "We need to find water and shelter before the processional."

The four made their way to the outskirts and found a small spring, clearing District 6 and moving their bodies away from the fresh water with mutterings of apologies. They watched the sky as it lit up with the fallen: the girl from 2, both from 3, the girl from 4, both from 6, the girls from 8 and 9, the boys from 10, 11, and 12.

"11 people in 6 hours," 5 said as she huddled next to 12 for warmth under her blanket/tarp. "You might be right about them wanting a quick game."

"Let's just concentrate on the rest of the Careers," 8 said as 7 laid the other blanket over them. "Get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

A day passed. 12 got a lucky shot at the boy from 1 as the trio of Careers stood over the bodies of the boys from 4 and 9 and the girls from 7 and 11. 8 died covering their escape as 5, 7, and 12 ran. 7 cracked his head hard on a rock as they clambered over each other.

The next day the remaining Careers took out the boy from 5 and the girls from 5 and 10, leaving 7 and 12 alone against them.

That night they were surprised to see the boy from 2 accompanying the fallen. "I guess she didn't want to wait for us to do it for her," 7 said as he rearranged his blanket/tarp around him.

"She's not gonna wait for us to go to her," 12 reasoned. "She's probably close to the cornucopia. We shouldn't sleep."

"Let's go get her then," he said helping her up.

"How's your head?"

"Still ringing. Let's try not to make this too loud."

"No promises, but I can try."

The duo shed themselves of excess items and headed back to the cornucopia. They met 1 at its mouth, fully armed with the remaining blades at her sides. 7 clutched the spear he had raided from 8's body in one hand, his axe in the other. 12 had her bow, nocked and drawn, aimed at 1.

"So, if both of you survive me, who wins?" 1 swiftly drew a sword and lunged for 7, who blocked her and clumsily tore the weapon from her hand. 1 laughed patronizingly at him.

"Whichever one of us kills the other," 12 said as she circled behind 1, letting an arrow loose into the other girls leg. "Oops, it slipped," she muttered honestly.

7 lunged for 1, driving the spear downwards, arching his axe. 12 nocked and let loose another arrow aimed at 1's torso. 1 deflected 7 and dove out of the way of 12's second arrow. She drew two more swords from her person. The trio's dance continued until 7's axe was buried deep into 1's skull, 12's arrows stuck haphazardly through her body at various depths.

7 and 12 gasped for air as they faced eachother. 12 had run out of arrows taking down 1, so she picked up a fallen sword and faced down 7. 7 tiredly pulled at his axe but it wouldn't budge. He leaned down and grabbed the fallen spear.

"I'm sorry, 12," 7 said as he readied his weapon. "But I'm not going down easy."

"I'd be disappointed if you did," she said as she weakly raised the tip of the blade in the air.

7 lunged at her in a manner not so dissimilar as the one he had used with 1. 12 blocked but was unprepared for the hidden dagger he held behind his back. She fell to the concrete with a yell, clutching the knife that was imbedded in her abdomen. 7 covered his ear as his head rung and his stomach churned.

12 remembered his head injury. She and 5 had spoken about how a very loud noise could send him into shock and distract him from what was going on around him. She whimpered on the ground now, watching him as he drew closer, remembering the town doctors lessons on the human body.

7 lifted his spear above his head and looked down at her. "I'm sorry."

Before he could move, 12 kicked his feet out from under him and took his head in her hands. "I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and screamed into his damaged ear. His body began to shake violently as she continued to scream. Then she heard the snap of broken bones and felt her hands empty as his head fell from them. The scream had caused a seizure that killed him.

She had won.

A/n: Hi! As some of you may know, I have posted this before. I took it down because I found myself unable to write out the last bits. Well, I've finally done it. Now I know that some will remember that I also said that I would PM the Followers and the Favorites from when I first put this up. I'm sooo sorry, but I lost the list of people. I think it's on my other iPad. But I will look and contact people if I find it.


	2. Chapter 2

A Voiceless Victor

She had passed out in the Arena. When she woke in the hospital later, she started violently when she saw her mentor's face looming over her.

"Easy there, kid. Easy. It's just me," he calmed her down, taking her hand in his.

"Haymitch?" Her voice came out strained as she looked around.

"Relax, Jeanetty. You're back in the Capitol." His hands cleaned her face of her tangled brown hair, his whiskey soured breath fell over her as he did so. "You won. Relax."

"Won? What?"

"You won the 54th Hunger Games." She looked at him confused. "You don't remember?" She shook her head. "Not surprising, most Victors don't usually want to," he said sitting back in his chair.

"How?"

"You screamed so loud you induced a seizure that broke his neck. Doctors sewed you back together, but they say your voice will be a little touchy for he next few days." He got up and walked around the bed to signal the doctor. "I'll understand if you want to keep up the silent act." He pulled out a flask from his jacket and knocked back some of its contents. "I didn't think you could do it, honestly."

Jeanetty nodded and whispered, "Neither did I." She stared out the window blankly until the doctor came in.

"Congratulations, Miss Hamstone," the doctor said smiling widely at her, bright blue hair nearly blinding her. "How are we feeling? Have we had the chance to try to speak?" He moved her bed to get her to sit up.

Jeanetty glanced at Haymitch before raising her hand to her throat, shaking her head. "Ah, I thought as much. That was quite the scream you gave. Tea will help your vocal chords heal. Other than that you seem to be healing quite nicely. We'll keep you here one more day to make sure you will stay that way."

Jeanetty nodded and the doctor left. Haymitch turned to her, his alcohol glazed blue eyes seeming to pierce her. "Smart girl. Now I'll come back tomorrow, bright and early, and you and I will head back to Tribute Tower and get you gussied back up for the Victors Interview."

"Then what?" her whispered question hung loudly in he air.

"Then we go home. They may wave the Victory Tour goodbye if you don't 'regain' your voice. And every year from now you'll be back here, in the Capitol, as a mentor for new Tributes."

She nodded as she sank back into her bed and looked out the window. "Leave the flask when you go."

The sedatives and alcohol kept her in a dreamless sleep. The next day she sat next to the Master of Ceremonies as he recounted her time in the arena. A few hours after, she and Haymitch were back on the train, headed back to District 12.

A/n: um... thank you, Rise of the Radical Feminists for your review, but the first chapter wasn't about Katniss... She wasn't even born yet...


	3. Chapter 3

The 61st Games

She woke up screaming. This had happened several times over the past few years and Haymitch was well prepared. He crawled into her bed and pulled her tightly to his chest. After she had calmed down he handed her a silver flask from her bedside table. She drank it all down before thanking him.

"I can't get his face out of my head," she whispered.

He sighed. "They'll never really go away. We just have to keep doing what we've been doing."

She sniffed. "I'm surprised you keep helping me."

He paused for a moment as she wiped fallen tears from her face. "I don't like being alone. I've been alone for a while with my own nightmares. It's nice to share the burden with someone else." She laughed a little and snuggled into him.

They woke the next morning when their Capitol Escort, a wizened old man in bright canary yellow walked into the room. "Another nightmare?"

Jeanetty nodded as she sat up and reached to calm her jolted housemate. "You know, Cararo, a call works just as well."

"But not nearly as fun. Now get up. Reaping starts soon."

The duo sighed and got ready for their mentoring duty. The day going in the same routine as they had the last 7 years. They met Cararo and the Tributes on the train. Haymitch, already half drunk, poured himself another drink as they were introduced to their new Capitol Escort: Effie Trinket. Her bright pink dress nearly blinded Jeanetty.

The two Tributes this year were a weepy 12 year old boy and a stoic 13 year old girl. As Haymitch explained what was going to happen to them once they reached the Capitol, Jeanetty robotically soothed the young boy in her lap. After so many years meeting and losing Tributes to the Games, she had become numb to their suffering. She hadn't watched the Games since her own. The horrors crept up on her in a waking nightmare.

As the sun set on the train, Jeanetty brought the boy to his quarters. When she returned to the dining car, Haymitch handed her a drink, which she knocked back quickly. "Been waiting for that since we boarded, huh?"

Jeanetty nodded as she filled her glass again.

Effie looked at her curiously. "Does she ever speak?"

"Only in whispers," Jeanetty whispered as she sat down next to the window across from the other woman.

"Jeanetty can hardly speak. Her vocal chords were damaged when she won her Games. So she whispers," Haymitch said as he sat next to his fellow Mentor with his own glass.

"Effie will be shadowing me this year," Cararo said to the pair. "Next year she'll takeover for me as your Escort to the Capitol."

"Do call before you come waltzing into our house. Coming in unannounced has dangerous repercussions," Jeanetty whispered to the new Escort. Effie laughed and the conversation continued.

The next afternoon they reached the Capitol. The boy has started crying again as he was led away to be groomed. The girl went quietly, already having broken down that morning.

A week passed. Personal training day arrived and Jeanetty took the boy to a private ring. She still didn't know his name but he had toughened up over the little while she had known him. She worked him hard, knowing he was only going to die anyway.

"Why don't you ever just talk?"

Jeanetty was started by the question. "I have no voice. I can't 'just talk'."

"Did you lose it when you won your Games?"

"Yes. I took advantage of my opponents head injury and exploited it. It cost me the use of my voice, but it won me the Game."

"Do you think I can win?"

"No." The boy started. "You ask too many irrelevant questions and have very few offensive actions. You haven't the drive to kill, though I do feel you will evade most of your enemies. You may even make it to the final few. But the Gamemakers will more than likely create something that will kill you should you get that far."

The boy stared at her in shock before his face began to mottle. "I'll show you! I can too win! I'm going to be the youngest winner ever!" He ran out of the ring, leaving her alone.

She made her way back to the twelfth floor of tribute tower, where Haymitch was already drinking. "I take it the boy started crying?"

"He asked me if he could win."

"And you told him the truth..."

"... I didn't tell him if he won they would kill his family." Jeanetty spoke softly, her voice was smooth and low with years of intermitant use, as she poured herself a small glass. Memories flooded the duo of their own familial losses. "He will lose regardless. No one wins from the outlying regions."

"We pay the price for our winnings."

"Indeed." She sat beside him with her drink. "Perhaps, it would have been better in the long run, to have died in the arena."

"Hindsight's 20/20," Haymitch said wrapping his arm around her. "What colors are you doing this year?"

Since her first year as a Mentor, Jeanetty had filled her hands with knitting needles during the Games. This kept her busy enough not to watch. She made a scarf for each of the Tributes and presented them to their families. "He's scared and stupid, but he's still young: shades of blue. She's got a good head on her shoulders and a decent sword arm: Green, maybe bits of yellow."

"Yellow's good. Distracts from the blood." The pair shared a sardonic laugh and clinked their glasses.

The next day Jeanetty bade the boy farewell. He only looked at her as though he didn't really see her. "Hey!" She snapped him out of it with a loud whisper. "Remember what you've learned. Don't run into the Bloodbath. Wait to grab a weapon. Find water, it's your new best friend. Guard it well." She paused to make sure he was listening, then reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Good luck."

She left him to enter the carrier ship that would take him to the arena. She made her way back into the Tower to wait, knitting as she did so.

As night fell, Haymitch and the others came back from the Sponsor Floor. "The boy's dead."

"Idiot probably ran into the Bloodbath," Jeanetty whispered, not looking up from her work as Cararo sat next to her.

"How'd you know," he asked fingering the light blue scarf.

"Because I told him not to. What do you think? Should I add stars?"

"I think it's lovely. Only nine died today, I'm surprised."

"Yes, usually more than half are dead by now," Effie said cheerfully.

"Anyone think the kids may be getting smarter?" Haymitch sat on Jeanetty's other side.

"Not likely," she and Cararo answered simultaneously. Cararo continued. "They all want to bring glory to their District."

"Winning the Games is the only way to do that," Effie said as she straightened her skirt and sat across from the trio.

"Someone shut her up," Haymitch said taking a drink.

Jeanetty sighed and put her knitting on the table. "I do think it's bed time. Good night, all." She went to her room, changed, and curled up into her bed, a knife handle within reach.

Sometime later she felt the bed dip with weight and a hand softly enclosed her wrist. "Just me, Jeanetty." Haymitch let go of her wrist and curled up behind her. "Can't sleep in this damn city."

"Too loud?"

"Too bright! It's damn near midnight and the whole place is lit up like a second sun."

She laughed and settled back into her pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

An Unexpected Morning And Undecided Actions

He woke up in a drunken haze after having rolled off the couch in the main room. He stumbled up the stairs to her room and collapsed on the empty side. "Reaping in a few hours," he said as he crawled the rest of the way to the open pillow.

"Doesn't give you permission to enter my bed." She turned to face him. "Fall off the couch again?"

He chuckled. "13 years of drinking away memories, you'd think they'd just go away."

"9 years together, I can read you like a book. C'mon, let's get ready before Effie gets here and tries to talk me into some awful outfit from the Capitol."

He chuckled again as he stopped her from rising. "I'm not your average book, sweetheart," he said before leaning down to kiss her. He quickly rose from her bed and went to his own room to change before she could respond in some way.

Jeanetty sat up in her bed, watching him retreat from her room. "What the hell was that?" She shook her head and continued to ready for her duties.

XXX

She lay beneath the summer sun. He watched her from the window in the kitchen. He had always watched her. Ever since their first fight as Mentor and Tribute in the practice ring, he watched her. He had knocked her on her ass because she had asked for further training with a sword. He smiled to himself. She still sucked.

He watched her now carefully. Since they had unspokenly agreed to look out for one another after her Victory; they had shared a house, sometimes even a sleeping space. They had only each other who knew the horrors experienced in the night in District 12. She still had some bad ones. Luckily they had no neighbors or her silent act wouldn't go over so well.

Last Reaping Day things between them changed. He had changed them. He had placed the first kiss on her lips. He had liked her well enough before, but that small kiss had done something to him. After both Tributes had died in the Bloodbath, he had stormed back to Tribute Tower and found her as he always had: sitting there knitting.

She had looked up at him, seen the anger and frustration on his face, and he had watched as hers fell into a mixture of gratefulness and despair. He had paused for a moment before he crossed the room and pulled her up from her chair. She looked confused, until he had pressed his lips against her hard. She had pushed him away slightly, out of breath. He didn't get a single coherent word out before she had pulled him back again.

Since then, their alone time had been made up of stolen kisses. They couldn't make their relationship public in fear of what President Snow would do to them. He had taken away their families when they had won the Games.

Now he watched her closer when she was outside, afraid Peacekeepers would take her if he didn't.

She smiled and sighed. The wind blew a comfortable breeze that tousled her hair. She stood and brushed the dead grass from her skirt. She could feel his eyes on her. He was getting nervous, her being outside and alone for too long caused him worry. She knew this, but sometimes she needed to get out of the house.

She slowly walked back to the house, wanting to take in as much as much of the nice weather as she could. She didn't get many good days. Neither one of them had woken up with a nightmare, and he hadn't felt the need to drink as much. He even began to eat normally. Granted, small meals weren't much but they were better than his usual liquid lunch.

He met her at the back door, opening it for her like a gentleman, and closing it tightly behind her. "You don't have to be my guard dog every time I go out."

His mind turned back to a day when she had shown up on his doorstep with ash in her hair. "I want you safe. Snow's taken everything else from me, he can't have you too." He pulled her into him. She noticed the startling pile of freshly washed dishes in the sink. He hardly ever cleaned anything.

"We can't hide forever."

"Give it a few years. Start coming to the Games. Let the public see you again. If your more out there with me, maybe it'll be okay."

"Now I know something's wrong with you. Your uncharicteristicly optimistic," she said before she kissed his jaw. She sighed. "I'll join you on the Sponsor Floor, but I wont help you make those deals."

"I'll be right next to you. You won't really have to watch."

She laughed. "I've already said yes." He let her go and she stepped away. "I'll make dinner. You go relax."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll pour you a drink."


	5. Chapter 5

The 74th Reaping

Jeanetty could feel something different in the air as she woke up the day of the Reaping. The 74th Games were going to be interesting. She readied herself and walked down the stairs, spotting Haymitch on the couch, dressed and drinking. "This year's gonna be interesting," he said standing as she swiped the last of his drink.

"You feel it too?"

"The biggest feeling of foreboding I've ever had." He embraced her and kissed her softly. "Stay close to me."

"We'll be fine. We always are." She rubbed his arm. "Let's go."

They walked through town, passing close to the Hall of Justice, and subsequent Reaping, when they heard it. "No! No! I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as Tribute!"

"What the hell is she thinking?!" Both of them turned to the square in shock. "Damn fool thing to do."

"Let's get to the train."

"Let's get a drink."

He quickly pulled her to the train. Once there he settled himself and a drink in their room. Jeanetty herself settled in 'her' chair next to the window in the dining car with her own drink. She curled her legs underneath her and stared out of it. She vaguely heard Effie arrive and introduce her, but was too lost to the trees. Unsure if she had been spoken to, she turned her head when Effie left.

"Have you two been here long?" She whispered loudly to the pair.

The boy nodded. "You're Jeanetty Hamstone, right?" She nodded once. "You screamed so loud you broke the last Tributes neck?"

"Lost my voice doing so." She rearranged herself on her chair so she was facing them. "So, you're the Baker's son?" The boy knodded in surprise. "I've seen the work on the cakes. That you?" He nodded again. "Good. Cover yourself up in mud, bits of bark, moss, leaves, you'd survive." She turned to the girl. "Your Edith's daughter." The girl continued to stare out the same window the Mentor herself had spent the last hour doing.

The boy turned to the girl. "You know, Katniss, she is our Mentor. She did win this thing once." The girl continued to stare out the window. "Look, you know, if you don't want to talk, I understand, but I just don't think there's anything wrong with getting a little help."

She finally turned to him as if realizing something was said to her. They held eachothers gaze for a moment before he broke it. When he did, the door to the dorm car opened and Haymitch stumble-walked in.

He sighed when he noticed them and then spoke semi-sarcastically. "Congradulations." he moved to the refreshments table and opened the ice box. He then turned to them again, holding the lid up. "Where's the ice?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know."

Haymitch nodded before he drunkenly slammed the lid back down on the ice box and picked up one of the bottles. Jeanetty remembered her own drink, now warm from her hand and took a sip. "May I?" Haymitch gestured to 'his' open chair next to her, asking to sit. She waved her hand and he sat.

The boy eagerly sat forward in his chair. "Okay... So when do we start?"

"Whoa, so eager," Haymitch said parting his hair away from his face. "Most of you aren't in such a hurry."

The boy looked stupefied. "Yeah. I wanna know what the plan is. Your our Mentor. You're supposed to go..."

Haymitch took another sip of his drink and interrupted. "'Mentor'?"

"Yeah, our Mentor. You're supposed to tell us how to get sponsors and give us advice." the boy's tone was getting tight with anger and frustration as he spoke.

"Oh. Okay. Um..." The older man thought for a moment. "Embrace the probability of your emminent death. And know, in your heart, there's nothing we can do to save you."

"So, why are you here then?" The girl finally spoke.

Haymitch say back in his chair. "The refreshments," he said raising his glass to them.

"Okay, I think that's enough of that." The boy reached for the glass. Haymitch pushed him back into his own chair with his foot as Jeanetty swiped the glass from his hand to prevent spilling.

Haymitch sighed. "Almost made me spill my drink. These are brand new pants." The boy visibly gulped as Jeanetty handed her fellow Mentor his drink back. "You know, I think I'll go finish this in my room." He stood and left, taking a biscuit with him.

The boy was undetered. "He's gonna come around." He got up to follow his new Mentor.

"It's no use," the girl said, trying to dissuade him.

"I'm gonna go talk to him."

The girl looked around the room lost until she settled on the silent woman in front of her. "So, what now?"

"You get some rest. You've had a long and trying day. Get some sleep. We'll be arriving in the Capitol in the morning." Jeanetty stood up and cupped the girls face in her free hand. "That was a brave thing you did. Volunteering. We don't watch the Reapings, but we heard you on our way to the train. Who was it?"

The girl remained silent and Jeanetty sighed. As she approached the door to the dorm car, the girl spoke. "My sister. She's 12."

The woman looked to the girl. "Then she is well loved. Get some rest."

A/n: Hi! My grandfather passed away so I don't know if this got posted on time, yay, if not, I'm sorry. I tried. But my family is more important.


	6. Chapter 6

The Tribute Parade

The next morning Jeanetty followed the girl, Katniss, to the dinning car. It was apparent she had slept very little. The boy, Peeta, and Haymitch were already eating, and discussing strategy. Jeanetty sat on Hymitch's other side as Katniss sat between the two males at the head of the table. Haymitch spared her a short but heated glance before turning his gaze to Katniss.

"I was just giving some life saving advice," he said to her as he poured himself and Jeanetty a cup of coffee.

"Like what?"

"I was just asking about how to find shelter," Peeta said as he ate.

"Which would come in handy if, in fact, you were still alive," Haymitch said pointedly.

"How do you find shelter?"

He sighed. "Pass the jam."

Katniss was undeterred. "How do you find shelter?"

"Give me a chance to wake up, sweetheart." He took a flask from the breast pocket of his robe and poured a generous amount into his coffee. "This 'Mentoring' is very taxing stuff."

He offered the flask to Jeanetty, who waved him away. "One of us has to be sober."

He nodded and set down the flask before reaching for the jam himself. "Can you pass the marmalade?"

The Tribute quickly picked up her knife and stabbed the table between his fingers. Effie gasped from her chair by the window. "That is mahogany!"

Haymitch pulled the knife out of the table. "Look at you," he said mockingly. "Just killed a placemat."

"You really want to know how to stay alive?" Jeanetty sliced her sausage and mixed it with her eggs. "You get people to like you."

Katniss's face slacked from its stoic form and Haymitch pulled the knife full of jam back to him and proceeded to spread it vigorously over his toast. "Oh? Not what you were expecting? Well, when your in the middle of the Games and your starving, or freezing, some water, a knife, or even some matches can make a difference between life and death."

"And those only come from Sponsors," Jeanetty continued. "And to get Sponsors, you have to make people like you."

Haymitch took over the conversation again. "And right now, sweetheart, you're not off to a real good start."

"There it is," Peeta said getting out of his chair and going to the window behind the Mentors. The outermost view of the Capitol spanned before them. "It's huge! That's incredible."

They entered the tunnel leading to the under ground station. The station was filled to the brim with several hundred cheering people, each clamoring over each other to get a good look at the Tributes from District 12. Peeta began to wave with an awed smile on his face and the crowed cheered louder.

Haymitch handed the knife back to Katniss. "You better keep this knife. He knows what he's doing."

The two Tributes were transferred to the grooming facility while the Mentors and Effie retreated to the stands on the Avenue of Tributes. As they watched the Tribute Parade they listened to the Master of Ceremonies talk about the districts and made fun of his enthusiasm. Afterwords They met up with Cinna and the Tributes as they dismounted their carriage.

"That was amazing," Cinna said leading the group.

"Well done," Jeanetty said pulling Peeta to her.

Effie was overjoyed. "Oh! We are all anybody's going to be talking about."

"So brave," Haymitch said in his usual sarcastic manner.

Katniss looked at him nonplussed. "Are you sure you should be near an open flame?"

"Fake flame? Are you sure you should..." His teasing smile fell as he looked over her shoulder at District 2's Tributes. The boy was staring directly at Katniss. Haymitch took a calming breath. "Let's, uh, let's go up stairs."

As they walked on Effie spoke. "So, each of the Districts get their own floor. And, since your from 12, you get the penthouse." A short elevator ride and the Tributes were stunned by their elegant surroundings. Effie showed them around as the Mentor's trailed behind. "So, this is the living room." She saw the Tributes faces. "I know. I know. Now your rooms are right over here. Now, why don't you go clean yourselves up a little before dinner?"

Jeanetty went to her room, a room that she and Haymitch had more often than not shared at first when he had become overly drunk. Hers was closer to the living and dining areas after all. Though now they shared it because of their growing relationship and subsequent paranoia. Haymitch entered minutes after her with his own things.

"Did they put your things in your room again?" She looked at him from the mirror where she was changing her earrings.

"I keep moving my stuff in here and they keep putting it in there. You'd think they'd learn."

She continued to look at him from the mirror as she took down her hair from the updo Effie's hair designer had wrangled it into before breakfast. "Just like the nightmares?"

He shooed her hands away and pulled pins away from her head. "Damn straight." He left a few curles on top of her head leading down the back of her head. "There, much better." She chuckled at him and paid him a kiss for his help. "Shall we?" He held his arm out to her to escort her from the room.

She nodded and stood. "We shall," she said placing her hand in the crook of his elbow.

A/n: I almost forgot what day it was.


	7. Chapter 7

The Girl On Fire With An Arrow Score

The Tributes experienced their first days of training and were talking about a fight they had witnessed between two other Tributes.

"He's a Career," Haymitch said as he continued to eat. "You know what that is?"

"From District 1," Katniss answered.

"And 2," Jeanetty whispered loudly. "They train in a special academy until they're 18. Then they volunteer. By that point they're pretty lethal."

Effie tried to cut in with a cheery thought. "But they don't receive any special treatment. I fact, they stay in the exact same apartment as you do. And I don't think they let them have dessert. And you can."

The thought was not very reassuring. Peeta turned back to the Mentors. "So, how good are they?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Obviously they're pretty good. They win it almost every year, but..."

"Almost," Effie cut him off.

He shrugged again and continued. "...they can be arrogant. And arrogance can be a big problem." He shot a look to Katniss. She looked back at her Mentor as he continued. "I hear you can shoot."

She looked back to her food. "I'm alright."

"No, she's better than alright," Peeta cut in. "My father buys her squirrels. He says she gets the, right in the eye every time."

Katniss turned to Jeanetty. "Peeta's strong."

"What?" Peeta himself looked surprised.

"He can throw a 100-pound sack of flour right over his head. I've seen it."

"Okay, we'll, I'm not gonna kill anybody with a sack of flour."

The adults watched silently as the Tributes went at it. "No, but you have a better chance of winning if someone comes after you with a knife."

"I have no chance of winning! None! All right?" The table was silent for a moment. "It's true. Everybody knows it." Peeta scoffed and continued his rant. "You know what my mother said? She said District 12 might finally have a winner. But she wasn't talking about me." He looked at Katniss intensely. "She was talking about you." She refused to return his gaze. Peeta looked down to his lap before speaking again. "I'm not very hungry." He threw his napkin over his place setting and retreated to his room.

Katniss sat in thought for a few moments before wiping her mouth. "I'm done, too." She stalked away to her own room.

"They'll be okay," Jeanetty said as everyone else continued on with her meal.

A few days later they were all sat down for the evening meal. Jeanetty was explaining Evaluation to the Tributes. "Tomorrow, they'll bring you in one by one and evaluate you. This is important because higher ratings mean higher will mean Sponsers."

"This is the time to show them everything," Haymitch said waving off the serving girl come to refill his drink. "There'll be a bow. Make sure you use it. Peeta, you make sure to show your strength."

"They'll start with District 1, so the two of you will go last." He paused in thought. "Well, I don't know how else to put this. Make sure they remember you."

XXX

Effie was reprimanding Katniss when the Mentors entered the apartment. "You realize that your actions reflect badly on all of us. Not just you."

Cinna attempted to calm her down. "They just want a good show. It's fine."

Effie got even more angered. "How about it's just bad manners, Cinna! How about that?" Haymitch and Jeanetty walked into the living room. "Well, finally! I hope the two of you noticed, we have a serious situation."

Haymitch gave Katniss a thumbs up and a smile. Katniss gave a faint smile back. "Nice shooting, sweetheart."

Jeanetty walked over to Katniss and pulled her into a hug. "Tributes have been wanting to take a shot at the Gamemakers since the dawn of the Games. You've got balls, girl."

"What did they do when you shot the apple?" Haymitch laughed in delights he sat in a chair across from the Tributes.

"Well, they looked pretty startled."

"Oh, yeah," he agreed, still laughing.

"What is it you said? 'Thanks for...'" Jeanetty asked sitting next to her.

"Thanks for your consideration." she and Jeanetty finished together.

"Genius!" Haymitch laughed harder. "Genius."

Effie almost flew off the handle. "I don't think we're gonna find this funny if the Gamemakers decide to take it out on..."

Jeanetty interrupted her. "On who?" She stood and took Effie's arms, rubbing them lightly. "On her? On him?"

"I think they already have," Haymitch said from his chair. "Loosen your corset, have a drink." He sat forward in his chair, directing himself towards Katniss. "I would have given anything to see it."

Drinks were passed out before the evaluation numbers were given. A few minutes later, Ceasar Flickerman began the report. "As you know, the Tributes were rated on a scale of 1 to 12 after three days of careful evaluation. The Gamekeepers would like to acknowledge that this was an exceptional..." He droned on for a few minutes before he got to the scores, even then it seemed to take forever before he got to District 12. "Now our final District. From District 12, Peeta Mellark. A score of 8."

Everyone began congratulating him. "We can work with that," Effie told him neutrally.

Ceasar continued. "And finally, from District 12, Katniss Everdeen. With a score of 11."

The room burst into noise as everyone stood and began congratulating her. "I thought they hated me," she told the group in shock.

"They must have liked your guts," Haymitch said with a smile.

Cinna raised his glass. "To Katniss Everdeen, The Girl on Fire!"


	8. Chapter 8

Just Do It

The following night, Jeanetty pulled a food laden trolley to Peeta's door. She knocked lightly and waited. "Who is it?" She knocked again and Peeta threw the door open. "Look, I don't-oh! Jeanetty."

"I'm sorry for not answering, but a whisper doesn't penetrate doors very well." She let herself in with the trolley.

"I'm not really-"

"Too bad," she cut him off. "The next 48 hours, you are my Tribute. Which means you do as I tell you." She put a fork in his hand and sat him on his bed. "That includes eating, sleeping, working out, waking up, and whatever else I think is necessary."

"Why? I'm not going to win!" She placed a plate of food in front of him and made him stab it with a fork. "I have no chance! The Gamemakers gave me an 8. They gave Katniss an 11! She can do it! You should be helping her!"

She arranged her food next to his. "Haymitch received a 7." He looked up surprised. "I got a 6." His eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "The evaluation numbers are a baseline for the Sponsors and statisticians. And that number changes when your in the Games, based on how long you live, how many others are dead, who you ally with. For outlying Districts it also matters on who you kill." He remained silent as he stared into his food. "A number shouldn't rule your life. That's why we are going down at 8 to work on things your having problems with. We'll also talk about possible stratagies."

"You really think I can win this?" He looked at her with a small spark of hope in his eyes.

She sighed. "She's 'the Girl on Fire'. You're 'the Baker's Boy', no one special. I'm going to put a few ideas to you tomorrow on how to get to the final five hours of the Games. If you follow one them, I have no doubt that you would have a definite chance to win."

Peeta smiled and began to eat with gusto.

The next night, after final training, the occupants of the floor and District 12 dressed up in the finest formalwear Cinna had conjured. The Tributes stood in a line with the rest, the Mentors, Effie, and Cinna stood off to the side watching the interviews. When Katniss finished hers, they all gathered off stage to watch Peeta.

"Nice job, sweetheart," Haymitch complimented. "Nice dress, too." He looked to Effie. "Not yours." As everyone's attention turned to Peeta's interview, he walked behind Jeanetty and whispered into her ear. "You look rather pretty this year, too."

"Are you saying I don't normaly?" She made certain the others weren't looking as she tilted her body softly into his.

"You always do. And tonight, I'm taking you dancing."

She looked at him surprised. "In public? What about...?"

"Relax. We'll wait till everyone's out for the night. I'll bring the usual music."

"Tributes don't normally sleep the night before."

"Who are they going to tell?"

"Well, if one of them wins, anyone."

"Why would they?"

"Your drunken ass said something stupid and/or I pissed them off with the truth." He sighed. "It's true."

"Let's not worry about it. Dance with me tonight."

She sighed exasperatedly but nodded and they turned their attention to the screen. Peeta leaned back from Ceasar. "You definitely smell better than I do."

"Well, I've lived here longer."

"That makes sense." the crowed laughed at the exchange.

"So, what did you tell him about the interview?"

Jeanetty shrugged. "To be himself. Answer questions honestly. Show emotion, but not enough to appear weak. Not to answer questions about his strategy."

"Usual Q and A type shit."

"Yeah."

On stage Ceasar was speaking. "Peeta, tell me."

"Well, there... There is this one girl that I've had a crush on forever." Jeanetty's brow furrowed in confusion. "But I don't think she actually recognized me until the Reaping."

"Not that honest Peeta!" Jeanetty grew concerned.

"We..," Ceasar continued. "I'll tell you what, Peeta. You go out there and you win this thing, and when you get home, she'll have to go out with you. Right folks?"

The crowed cheered. "Thanks, but I don't think winning's gonna help me at all."

"And why not?"

Peeta took a deep breath. "Because she came here with me."

"Well, that's bad luck."

"Yeah, it is."

"And I wish you all the best of luck." Ceasar continued on to end the interviews.

Katniss waited until they had reached the safety of the District 12 apartments before she lashed out at Peeta. "What the hell was that?" She pushed him against the wall hard. "You don't talk to me, and then you say you have a crush on me? You want to train alone? Is that how you want to play?"

Haymitch roughly pulled her away. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"Let's start right now!"

"Hey!" Haymitch got her to still as Jeanetty gently pulled away from the wall. "He did you a favor."

"He made me look weak."

"He made you look desireable, which in your case, can't hurt, sweetheart."

"He's right, Katniss," Cinna said to help calm her further.

"Of course he's right," Jeanetty interrupted as she rubbed Peeta's back. "Now we can sell the star-crossed lovers from District 12..."

"We are not star-crossed lovers," Katniss yelled at her.

"It's a television show!" Haymitch snapped at the younger woman. "And being in love with that boy might just get you Sponsors, which could save your damn life." He sighed to calm himself.

"Okay. Why don't you get out of here," Jeanetty said to Peeta, rubbing his shoulder.

"Maybe we can deliver you both in one piece tomorrow." Haymitch began to escort his fellow Mentor upstairs.

"Manners!" Effie snapped at Katniss as she followed the pair in an attempt to get her to behave.

Katniss and Peeta headed back to their rooms after reconciling late that night. As they passed the living room they heard a clinking sound and a low hum. "What's that?" Peeta peeked around the corner before drawing back sharply. "Haymitch and Jeanetty."

"So?" Katniss looked at him confused.

He peeked back around the corner kneeling down to the floor. "Dancing."

Katniss looked around the corner above his head. Sure enough their two Mentors were dancing togeather. Haymitch held Jeanetty's waist in his left arm, a glass of whiskey in his right. Her left hand helped support support the glass between them whilst her right was wrapped around his back, her head on his shoulder, his atop hers.

"Interesting year," Haymitch said as she pulled the glass to her lips.

"Definitely did not guess the star-crossed lovers." She spoke aloud, her alto voice washing over the hidden pair, surprising them as they realized the humming had been coming from their silent Mentor.

"I think she found it a bit of a surprise as well." He spun her around once. "Sing for me?"

She laughed, surprising the Tributes further. "Sing? I've been talking in secret for 20 years, and you want me to sing? I'm even humming for you."

"You've always had the most beautiful voice."

She smiled and sighed playfully.

'Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin,

Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in,

Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove.'

Haymitch joined her in singing the last lines.

'Dance me to the end of love,

Dance me to the end of love.'

They laughed affectionately as they each took another sip of the whiskey. He smiled down at her. "I love you, Jeanetty."

"I love you, Haymitch."

"Let's get to bed, my dear. We've a long day tomorrow."

She sighed and finished their drink. "That we do."

The Tributes quickly ran back to their own rooms as the Mentors walked back to their shared room at a leisurely pace.

A/n: Shit,I'mlate,sorry! Hi! I don't even know if this song would exist in this post-apocolyptic like world, but I also don't care. Muah-haha-haha!


	9. Chapter 9

On the Edge

The next morning Jeanetty walked Peeta up to the helipad where he would be taken to the Arena. "Remember, run away from the Cornucopia and avoid the Bloodbath. Grab a pack if you want, but do not go so far as to grab a weapon unless you have a straight shot to cover."

"Yeah, I remember." He took a deep breath. "I saw you and Haymitch last night."

She pulled him back. "Don't you ever say a word about that! Not in the arena, not ever! Do you understand?!"

Peeta nodded. "I just don't get it. You have an amazing voice."

"If you say a word, and you win the Games, I will skin you alive and make a new rug." He gulped and nodded. "Good. Remember the strategy. Get on that transport." He did as she said and she waved him off.

When she returned to District 12 apartments, Haymitch was waiting for her alone. "Peeta knows."

"So does Katniss. We'll be okay."

"Haymitch, if they say something..."

"They won't-"

"What Snow will do to us..."

"Nothing is going to happen to us." He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. "They'll most likely die in the Games and we'll go on with our lives," he said rubbing her arms softly.

"You better be right." Her whispered voice was muffled by his vest.

"You know I am."

Over the next few days, Jeanetty and Haymitch watched their Tributes, Jeanetty fumbling with her knitting needles all the while. Peeta was recruited by the Careers and kept a position in the rear of the group to watch for comming attacks. Katniss almost walked out of the arena, causing the Gamemakers to set fire to the forest. She ran for the river and was found by the Careers and Peeta, who ran her up a tree.

After failing to kill her they waited overnight for her to come down. Haymitch spoke with a Sponsor to get Katniss healing balm in the middle of the night. As the balm was received, Peeta snuck away from the Careers.

Katniss awoke the next morning to the girl from 11 pointing out Traker Jackers above the Careers. She cut them down, killing the girl from 1, while being severely stung herself. She obtained the bow and arrows and exhaustedly ran away.

Jeanetty thought it was over for Peeta the next day when he was attacked by the guy from 2. He barely made it away and hid on the rocks by the river. The next afternoon Katniss woke up from her venom induced hallucinogenic sleep and partnered with the girl from 11, Rue, who saved her life while she was poisoned.

The pair made a plan to destroy what was left of the supplies by the Cornucopia. Rue lit fires, drawing the Careers away from their hoard, while Katniss blew up the supplies. Rue was caught in a trap and as Katniss freed her they were ambushed by the boy from 3. Though he was killed by Katniss, Rue had fallen to his spear.

Rumors were spreading of riots in District 11 when Haymitch went to talk to Ceneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker. A few hours later there was an announcement to the remaining Tributes that two people of the same District could win. Katniss wasted little time in finding Peeta on the rocks by the river, where he had covered himself in mud and moss as Jeanetty had first suggested on the train. She cleaned his wound and they set out for a more hidden spot, her helping him limp along. When they found a cave and settled a bit, Katniss kissed him, and Jeanetty demanded Haymitch get Peeta some kind of food.

Securing the boy some soup and leaving a message for Katniss, Haymitch returned to Jeanetty as she furiously knitted away. "You need a drink," he said as he took her needles away and placed a drink in her hands. This was not uncommon when she watched the Games.

Jeanetty sipped her drink as she watched Katniss spoon feed Peeta the soup. "She doesn't deserve him," she said as she listened to Peeta's speech to Katniss.

"She may never deserve him, but he loves her."

The next morning Katniss battled the girl from 2 for Peeta's medicine. She was saved by the boy from 11. They applied the healing salve and when they woke from their nap their injuries had healed.

Then came the finale. Large brutish dog-like creatures attacked from nowhere, forcing them back to the Cornucopia where the boy from 2 was hiding. After a short skirmish atop the metal structure the boy from 2 put Peeta in a headlock. Katniss shot his hand and Peeta kicked him to the dogs below. Katniss took pity on his dying screams and pained pleading and put him out of his misery.

All looked well as the sun rose.

Until the dual Victor revision was revoked.

Jeanetty covered her mouth as Katniss brought out the Nightlock berries she had pocketed earlier in the Game. As they both went to eat the poisonous fruits, the announcer stopped them and declared them both Victors.

A/n: ok it is Halloween but HOPEFULLY this is on time. Have fun and brush your teeth.


	10. Chapter 10

The Victors Life

Haymitch brought Katniss out to the balcony of Tribute Tower that evening. "They're not happy with you."

"Why? Because I didn't die?" Katniss' arms were resting on the stone rail as she spoke in her usual uncaring tone.

"Because you showed them up."

She scoffed. "Well, I'm sorry it didn't go the way they planned. I'm not very happy with them either."

"Katniss!" He turned to face her. "This is serious. Not just for you. They don't take these things lightly."

The next day was the Victors Interview, then later the Crowning in front of the Capitol. Afterwords they all left for home. Katniss and Peeta stood before their District, receiving praise, as Haymitch led a catatonic Jeanetty back to their home in Victors Village.

Months passed. Winter came, as did the Victors Tour. Katniss was asked to make sure Haymitch and Jeanetty were awake and ready for that morning. She knocked on their door, calling out their names before entering. She found Haymitch downstairs in his now usual place at the kitchen table. Jeanetty's nightmares had increased dramatically since the 74th Games, causing the woman to get restful sleep seldomly. Haymitch of course stayed at her side until she finally slept, before retiring downstairs to drink himself into a drunken stupor and pass out on the table.

"Haymitch, wake up. It's Tour Day," Katniss said before attempting to shake him awake. When that failed she picked up a tankard of water that was near him, stood back, and threw it on him.

He jumped up with a yell, picking up a knife that was close by and flailing it vigorously. Once his brain registered Katniss, he spoke angrily. "What are you doing?"

"Cameras are gonna be here in an hour." He slammed the knife down and drunkenly stalked towards her. She pushed him back down to his chair as she spoke. "If you wanted to be babied, you should've asked Peeta."

"Asked me what?" the man himself appeared with the lady of the house under his arm and two loaves of bread.

"Asked you to wake me without giving me pneumonia," Haymitch said as Peeta helped a tired Jeanetty sit next to him. "You are a strangely dislikable person," he said before Katniss placed two bottles of the Hob's best moonshine I front of him. "But you do have your virtues."

Peeta scliced off a peice of bread and put it in Jeanetty's hand. "Eat." He helped her raise the bread to her lips so she could nibble on the offered meal before turning turning to Katniss. "Would you like some bread, Katniss?"

"No, I ate at the Hob, but thank you."

"You're welcome." He scliced himself a peice before sitting next to Jeanetty.

"Brr..." Haymitch shivered. "You two have some warming up to do before show time."

"Which is in an hour, so take a bath, Haymitch." She walked to the back door and cleared empty bottles out of her way.

"I just did," he said as she left.

"Atleast she was civil," Jeanetty said as she leaned against Haymitch.

An hour later Jeanetty wrapped the scarf she made him during the Games around Peeta's neck. "Don't be too cross with Katniss, Peeta," she whispered as he straightened his hair.

"I'm not cross."

"You're not happy either. Just be yourself for the cameras."

"Always." He kissed her cheek lightly as she opened the door and sounds of cheering fans met their ears. "And there he is! Peeta Melark! The Bakers Boy."

Not long after the kick off, everyone was on the train headed for district 11. The next morning Effie was positively glowing. "Fabulous food, fabulous wine, the massages, spa treatments. I told them nothing but the best for my two Victors. It all needs to be..."

"Fabulous," Haymitch asked from his place at the head of he table.

"Exactly." Effie took her place and continued. "Now, the schedule is a bit of a bear. 12 days, 12 Districts. But it's mostly parties, celebrations, adoring fans to great you at every stop along the way, and then we wrap it all up in the Capitol. All you need to do is give a few speeches, wave to the crowds, and enjoy your time in the spotlight. You've earned it."

Katniss hadn't been listening to Effie but her head snapped to her at her last comment. "What did you say?"

"Katniss," Peeta pleaded.

"I said, 'enjoy it, Katniss, you've earned it.'"

"By killing people." She stood to leave.

"Young lady..." Effie started but Katniss was already out the door.

Peeta stood. "I'll go talk to her."

Once they reached District 11, they disembarked the train and entered an armored convoy, Effie remarking how not very festive it all was. She continued her instructions in the truck. "The Mayor will make some introductory remarks. And then you just have to say a few words. It's customary, of course, to give a brief eulogy to the Districts' Fallen Tributes. For 11, that's Thresh and Rue." She separated the speech cards and held them out. "Here are the speeches."

Katniss didn't move, so Peeta reached forward and grabbed them. "I can do the talking if you want," he offered, knowing how close she had become with Rue in the Games.

"Thank you."

When they arrived at the Hall of Justice for District 11 there were no cheering crowds. The Mayor spoke to those who had gathered. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Victors of the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark!"

Effie shooed them out. "Smile, smile, smile, smile. Stand up straight. You're on camera." There was very little clapping as they walked out.

Jeanetty sat in a chair as the others stood around her as they all watched Peeta begin his speech. When he put down the cards, Effie snapped. "Why do I bother."

Jeanetty hushed her friend as Peeta continued. When he donated a months winnings to the families of the Fallen, Jeanetty's jaw dropped and Haymitch uttered, "Shit."

"C-can he do that," Cinna asked from beside him.

"He can't," Jeanetty said shaking her head. "But he did."

"Why doesn't he just stick to the cards?" Effie was holding back crocodile tears.

When Peeta's speech finished, Katniss hesitated in returning to the Hall. She approached the microphone. "I just want to say that I didn't know Thresh. I only spoke to him once. He could have killed me, but instead he showed me mercy. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay." She looked to Rue's family. "I did know Rue. She wasn't just my ally, she was my friend. I see her in the flowers that grow in the meadow by my house. I hear her in a Mocking-jay song. I see her in my sister Prim. She was too young, too gentle. And I couldn't save her. I'm sorry."

A man from the crowd saluted Katniss and whistled the tune she and Rue had agreed to use in he Games. More people from the crowd saluted too as Peacekeepers unleashed their batons and began making their way to the man. Katniss and Peeta fought against the Peacekeepers who had grabbed their arms and pulled them back into the Hall.

Just before the doors closed they saw the man in a kneeling position where Katniss had just been standing, a Peacekeeper behind him with a gun to his head. The gun fired and Katniss struggled against Haymitch to get back out.

"Come here! Stop it!"

"What did I do?"

"Come on," Jeanetty pulled Peeta to the stairs and the four Victors from District 12 accended.

Once they reached the top, Haymitch turned on them. "You two have a very simple task."

"I never meant for anyone to get killed. He needs to know that," Katniss said tearfully.

"What are you talking about?" Jeanetty stood beside Peeta. "Who has to know what?"

"Snow. He came to see me. He's worried about rebellion in the Districts. He thinks that they don't believe our love story."

"So he wants you to make them believe it?" Haymitchs' voice was hard.

"To calm things down."

"You know, Katniss, you shoulda told me that before I went out there, and tried to give these people the money," Peeta snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. He threatened to kill my family."

"Well, I have family, too." Katniss looked at him in shock. "Okay? People that I need to protect."

"What about them?" Jeanetty and Haymitch cut in, gesturing to the window to District 11. He continued. "Who protects them?"

"Katniss, what were you thinking," Jeanetty asked looking at the younger woman softly.

"I was thinking about Rue. Jeanetty, please... Please, just help me get through this trip." She clung to Jeanetty's arms. "Please, just help us get through this."

Jeanetty shook her head as Haymitch spoke. "This trip? Girl, wake up!" He snapped his fingers in front of her.

"This trip doesn't end when you get home," Jeanetty said rubbing her arms gently.

"You never get off this train." Haymitch looked between Katniss and Peeta. "You two are Mentors now. That means every year, they're gonna drag you out, and broadcast the details of your romance."

"Every year, your private life becomes theirs."

"From now on, your job is to be a distraction. So people forget what the real problems are."

"So what do we do?" Peeta stepped closer.

"You're gonna smile." Jeanetty wiped away Katniss' tears.

"You're gonna read the cards that Effie gives you," Haymitch continued. "And you're gonna live happily ever after."

"Think you can do that?" Katniss nodded, still slightly weepy. "Come here," Jeanetty said as she pulled her close. "You're gonna be okay. I promise."

The next week was filled with nightmares and false speeches as they made their way through the Districts. After they had spoken in District 3 Haymitch called a meeting of the Mentors in the rear of the train. "Snow is watching us. If he wants you to pacify the Districts, I promise you, he's not happy."

Jeanetty cut in. "Instead of being in love, you two sound like you're reciting from a drilling manual."

"You try reading that stuff that Effie writes us," Peeta said.

"Tell that to President Snow when you see him two days from now," Haymitch snapped.

"I'm open to suggestions."

"We could get married," Katniss suggested.

"That's not helping," Jeanetty said as she sipped her water.

"I'm serious. If, like you two said, we're on this train forever, it's gonna happen eventually." She sat back in her seat. "Why not now?"

Haymitch scoffed. "It does make a statement, I'll give you that."

"Peeta?" Jeanetty turned to him. "It's your life, too."

He simply nodded, not looking at anyone. "Yeah, sure. Let's do it." he stood and walked out.

Two nights later Effie escorted Katniss and Peeta to the Presidential Palace. Haymitch and Jeanetty opted to stay on the train. He turned to her in their bed and met her tired but happy eyes. "It's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

"They get to get married and we can't even be seen together, just being us."

"Snow, would likely kill us himself."

"What if we just ran away?"

"Ran away where?" He looked down. "No, we can't go anywhere."

"Bet I can think of a place we can go."

A/n: I think this may be the longest chapter I've ever written.


	11. Chapter 11

The Quarter Quell

They arrived back home in District 12. Not long after they got back did a large processional of Peacekeeper tanks follow them. The Peacekeepers began going through peoples things, burning them in the streets. They arrested everyone in the Hob, District 12's main market, before burning it as well.

Haymitch and Jeanetty made their way to Justice Square. There they found Katniss standing between the new Peacekeeper Comander and one of her friends who was chained to an iron tower in the center of the square. The Comander pulled a gun on Katniss when Haymitch stepped in between them. "Woah, woah, woah!"

"Get out of my way!"

"No, you don't want to shoot her." Haymitch attempted to reason.

"How about I shoot both of you?"

"Look, Comander, you're new here," Jeanetty whispered hoarsely so she could be heard as show walked closer with her hands raised. "Trust us, we're trying to help you."

"I'm Haymitch," he introduced himself, extending his hand. When it was ignored he continued. "You recognize her?" He pointed to Katniss when he got no response. "Katniss Everdeen. Darling of the Capitol."

The Comander lowered his weapon. "She interfered with a Peacekeeper."

"Never said she was smart," Jeanetty said coming up to Haymitch's side.

"Look, you already got a couple of lashes in, right?" Haymitch began to reason again.

"That's not good enough. She's an agitator." The Comander raised his gun again and pointed it at Jeanetty.

Peeta stepped between them. "Easy, easy..."

"Look," Haymitch said as Jeanetty pulled Peeta back. "You sure Snow wants four dead Victors here? Because that's what we're looking at. It's bad enough that you marked up her face on the eve of the big wedding. Let it go. And we will, too."

The Comander considered for a moment before agreeing. "All right." He lowered and holstered his weapon. "Okay. But next time, it's the firing squad."

Haymitch nodded his head. "Excellent idea."

"I dont care who she is." He paused a moment. "CLEAR THE SQUARE!" he turned to the crowd. "You're all under curfew. Anyone out after dark will be shot on sight." he turned back to the Victors. "Get him out of here."

Katniss and Peeta quickly undid the bindings on her friend as Jeanetty waved some men from the mine to assist them. The group led them to Katniss' home where her mother and sister helped him.

Two days later President Snow made an announcement to the Districts. Everyone stood by and watched. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the 75th year of the Hunger Games. And it was written in the charter of the Games that every 25 years, there would be a Quarter Quell to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of those who died in the uprising against the Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of special significance. And now on this the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the 3rd Quarter Quell as a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol. On this, the 3rd Quarter Quell Games, the male and female Tributes are to be Reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each District. Victors shall present themselves on Reaping Day regardless of age, state of health, or situation. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Jeanetty reeled in her own waking nightmare as Haymitch threw his bottle at the imager. Peeta burst through the door and began speaking to Haymitch, who began arguing back. Jeanetty stormed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of whiskey. She hadn't had much over the last few years but she still drank it like it was water. It soured her stomach, but it clouded her mind and made her feel numb. She felt the bottle being pulled away hrom her as Haymitch's arms wrapped around her. "Easy, easy does it, love."

"I can't go back, Haymitch."

"I know, I'm not gonna ask you to. Peeta wants it to be fair, but he also wants to save Katniss' life."

"By asking me to Volunteer for her."

"I'm not gonna let that happen." He kissed her temple and led her to a chair. "Let's just sit and drink, like we used to."

She nodded and took a sip out of a bottle that sat on the table. Half an hour later Katniss walked in. "There she is," Jeanetty said morosely. "Finally did the math?"

"And you've come to, what," Haymitch asked waving his open bottle to her. "Ask me to... Die?"

Katniss sat in a chair adjacent them. "I'm here to drink." She took the bottle from his hand and took a sip.

"Finally, something I can help you with. What's it say that Peeta was here 45 minutes ago practically begging Jeanetty to be Tribute for the Games. Begging to save your life and only just now show up?"

"It means we have to save him."

"You could live 100 lifetimes and never deserve that boy." Jeanetty took the bottle back.

"Come on, Jeanetty. Nobody decent ever wins the Games."

"Nobody ever wins the Games. Period," Haymitch countered. "There are survivors. There are no winners."

"Peeta has to survive." Katniss went on as she took the bottle back from Jeanetty. "We have to do what it takes to save him."

"All right, if..."

"No!" Jeanetty begged.

"If they call his name, I'll volunteer in his place..."

"Haymitch, thank you."

"If you do the same for Jeanetty, because there's nothing to stop him from volunteering himself if they call my name."

She nodded in agreement. "You can help him in the arena. Like you did for me."

He sighed. "I think these Games are gonna be different."

"I don't care. Do whatever you can. Peeta lives. Not me." she handed the bottle back. "Promise me."

He nodded. "Okay."

Katniss left and Haymitch pulled Jeanetty to him. They said nothing but held eachother tightly until they finished the many partially full bottles on the table.

The next morning they dressed and waited for Peacekeepers to escort them to the Hall of Justice. Jeanetty shed silent tears as she led the parade through the silent town, her favorite long brown coat billowing loosely behind her in the breeze. She took her place beside Katniss, who had reminded her once again that she was going to the Games so that the older woman wouldn't have to.

Effie called attention to herself once the Tributes were on stage. "Welcome, welcome, as we celebrate the 75th anniversary and 3rd Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games. As always, ladies first." She nervously reached her hand into the pot and picked one of two papers that lay in the bottom. She re-took her place and read the name. "The female Tribute from District 12, Katniss Everdeen." She spoke without her usual flourish and watched as Katniss squeezed Jeanetty's hand before taking her place beside Effie. "Wonderful," Effie said with forced enthusiasm. And now for the men." She swiftly picked a paper from the other pot and returned to the microphone. "The male Tribute from District 12, Haymitch Abernathy."

Jeanetty's face had little time to show despair before Peeta spoke. "I volunteer as Tribute." Haymitch grabbed the younger man's shoulder and spoke to him in a low tone. He responded and moved to Effie's side.

"Very well," Effie continued to force words out of her mouth. "The Tributes from District 12: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark. Well, all that remains is..." She stopped when Katniss's mother and sister saluted the stage, followed by the rest of town, including some Peacekeepers.

The Tributes saluted back before they were pulled into the Hall of Justice. They were given no time to say goodbyes as they were forced onto the train. Jeanetty, still shaken from the entire ordeal, had curled into her chair next to Haymitch, as he poured a generous shot of whiskey into her tea. She had refused to let go of him once they had reached the train and now had her right hand balled into his left sleeve.

Effie entered the dinning car just as Haymitch finished one-handedly preparing his own late-night drink. "All right. Before we begin, I've had a thought."

"You don't say?" Haymitch received a look from Effie and a squeeze from Jeanetty.

"Katniss has her gold Mockingjay pin. I have my hair," she said gesturing to the golden wig on her head. "I'm going to get the rest of you something gold."

Haymitch turned his head to look at Jeanetty before speaking. "Why is that?"

"A token." Effie seemed insistent. "Show them we're a team. And they can't just..."

Katniss caught one of Effie's hands in hers and gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Effie looked on the verge of tears before she batted them away. "All right, now. Everything will be different because it's a Quarter Quell. The Capitol has spared no expense. A new training center. New Tribute living quarters. And of course a very special arena."

"But this year you'll be facing other Victors." Jeanetty spoke softly, surprising the room by using her voice. "Capitol favorites. Smart, cunning, skilled."

"And they all know one another," Effie said with a proud smile to her recovering friend. "You two are the outsiders."

The train ride to the Capitol seemed to go more quickly than before. Not long after, they were setteling into their new apartments and the Mentors began their duties. "I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the Games."

"Last year was child's play," Jeanetty continued Haymitch's opening in her usual whisper from her place beside the Tributes. "This year, you're dealing with all experienced killers."

"All right," Peeta said sitting back in his chair. "What does that mean for us?"

"That means you're gonna have to have some allies," Haymitch said handing a glass of water to Jeanetty.

Peeta nodded. "Okay. I think that if..."

Haymitch interrupted him. "You're not the problem." he pointed to Katniss.

"No."

"Look," he continued, sitting next to Jeanetty. "You're starting at a disadvantage. Most of these people have been friends for years."

"That just puts us higher on their kill list," Katniss argued.

Jeanetty held up her hand. "Do it your own way, but we know these people. You go it alone, their first move is gonna be to hunt you down."

Haymitch pointed between the Tributes. "Both of you."

"Katniss, come on," Peeta pleaded.

She turned back to the Mentors. "How could any of us trust eachother?"

"It's not about trust. It's about staying alive." Haymitch stood and walked to a viewing screen. He pulled up a video file and began. "Cashmere and Gloss. Brother and sister. District 1. They won back-to-back Games. Capitol favorites. Lots of Sponsors. They will be lethal."

He brought up a new clip and Jeanetty continued. "The other half of the Career Pack: Brutus and Enobaria."

"What's with her teeth?"

"She had them filed into fangs so she could rip people's throats out."

"She's committed, I'll give her that."

Haymitch continued. "Wiress and Beetee. Not fighters, but brilliant. And weird. Real tech-savy. He won his Games by electrocuting six Tributes at once."

"Morphlings. Masters of camouflage," Jeanetty carried on. "Basically, won their Games by hiding until everyone else was dead. Self medicating ever since."

"Which, I applaud." Haymitch switched the screen again.

"Finnick Odair, right?"

"Yes, he won his Games at 14. Youngest ever. Extremely humble."

"You're kidding."

"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock. A total preener. But he's a Capitol Darling. They love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled in combat. Especially in water."

"Any weaknesses?"

"One," Jeanetty said. "Mags. She volunteered for Annie. Mags was his Mentor and basically raised him. If he's trying to protect her in anyway, it exposes him."

"A guy like that has to know she's not gonna make it," Katniss commented, looking at the elderly woman in screen. "I bet when it really comes down to it, he won't protect her."

"Well, Katniss, I just hope when she goes, she goes quickly." Jeanetty fixed her with a stare. "She's actually a wonderful lady."

"Perhaps we should get to bed. Finish this up in the morning," Haymitch said stretching his hand out to Jeanetty. The Tributes noted their own tiredness as the Mentors walked to their room.

A/n: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

The Bonds That Tie Us

The next day was the Tribute Parade. Haymitch and Jeanetty waited in the sides of the mounting area. They watched as Cinna bid the Tributes off and joined them. "They're very brave," a voice behind the trio spoke causing them to turn swiftly. Plutarch Heavensbee, Head Gamemaker, stood behind them, a smile pulling on his lips.

"Heavensbee," Haymitch said as he pulled Jeanetty behind him. "Aren't you supposed to be directing this little party?"

"They can do without me for a little bit. They're competent people." He watched Cinna step closer to Haymitch's side. "Oh, relax, I'm not here to harm you."

"Then why are you here?"

"To offer you some information."

"Why?"

"Why won't you tell the world you and Miss Hamestone are closer thanh you appear on camera? Why would she lie about having no voice when we all know she does. Because the wrong people would come after you if you did. Now this is about the revolution, so shut up and listen." Heavensbee proceeded to quickly give his information. "If you agree, you'll spread the word with the Mentors. Do not let on to your Tributes." Haymitch nodded once before Heavensbee walked away from them.

At that moment the Tributes were ridding back to dismount. They met the Tributes from District 11 and told them what happened, briefing the only Mentors to come from that District. 11 agreed to spread the word to some others Katniss and Peeta joined them.

Haymitch clapped his hands sarcastically for them as they approached. "Nice. Way to make friends out there, you two."

"Well, we learned from the best," Katniss retorted before turning to face the other Tributes.

"We want to introduce you to some special friends of ours. This is Seeder and Chaff. From District 11." Haymitch stopped and laughed when Chaff kissed Katniss. "He's very friendly. Don't invite him over. He'll drink up your liquor." He shook hands with Seeder and Chaff. "I'll see you guys soon."

Jeanetty led the group away. "Let's get some of that makeup off you and talk about these other Tributes."

"These Tributes are crazy," Katniss muttered.

"No, not all of 'em." Haymitch said as they neared the elevator. "He's a good guy." he saluted to the Peacekeeper guards. "Carry on."

They were joined in the elevator by another Tribute dressed like a tree. She spoke as the doors closed behind her. "You guys look amazing."

"Thank you," Katniss said confusingly.

"My stylist is such an idiot," the Tribute continued as she turned away from them and began undressing. "District 7. Lumber. Trees. I'd love to put my ax in her face. So, what do you think? Now that the whole world wants to sleep with you?"

Katniss scoffed. "I don't think that the whole world..."

The Tribute whirled around to face her. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Okay."

"Will you unzip?" She moved her back to Peeta, who agreed and did as she asked. Jeanetty caught the jealous look on Katniss' face. The Tribute turned to face them all again as she finally stripped out of her dress. There was complete silence for the remainder of the trip. When the doors behind her opened, she spoke. "Thanks. Let's do it again sometime."

"Thank you." The Tributes looked to Haymitch.

Jeanetty piped up. "Johanna Mason. District 7. One of my friends."

"Now I suggest the two of you go downstairs tomorrow with a plan. You'll need allies if you want to survive," Haymitch continued as they stepped off onto their floor.

The next night, after training, the Mentors walked into the apartments. "Good news. At least half the Tributes want you as an ally."

"Well, they saw her shoot," Peeta explained.

"Well, sweetheart, you got your pick of the litter," Haymitch said to the young woman.

"I want Wiress and Beetee," she said without hesitation.

"Johanna calls them 'Nuts' and 'Volts'," Peeta put in.

"Well, okay, good. Now, who else?" Haymitch kept the conversation on point.

"Mags." Peeta turned away from her in disbelief. "All right, fine, then no one."

"We'll tell them you're still making up your mind," Jeanetty said before heading back to the elevator.

A few days later came the final assessment, the final interviews, and the last night before the Games. As the Tributes were dressing in wedding attire, the others were watching the interviews.

"I think I have an idea," Peeta said to Jeanetty as she combed his hair back.

"Oh, yeah? Let's hear it."

"Katniss is pregnant."

"What!" she turned him around so fast he nearly got whiplash.

"She isn't really, Jeanetty," he said calming the woman. "I'm just saying, all the other Tributes are trying to put a stop to this. What if we say Katniss is pregnant?"

The Mentor put her hand to her chest and rubbed her heart. "If you get that reaction from the Capitol, you may just stop the Games." She breathed deeply as Peeta helped hold her up. "You're up after Katniss," she said nodding to the doors.

Peeta took his leave and Jeanetty went out to the crowd to sit beside Haymitch. The Mentors laughed and applauded happily as Katniss spun and her dress went up in flames revealing the Mockingjay dress underneath.

Haymitch turned to Jeanetty. "Does he have any ideas?"

"One, and it's a damn good one."

They shouted the loudest when Peeta dropped the 'baby bomb' and the crowd went wild, calling for a cancelation of the Games. They stayed with the other Mentors, waiting for the Gamemakers decision on the status of the Games. With heavy hearts they met with Effie and told her the news. The trio made their way to District 12's apartments.

Haymitch was the first to speak to the Tributes. "Baby bomb was a stroke of genius."

"Unfortunetly, the Games are still on," Jeanetty said to them, using her voice. "This is goodbye for now."

There was a moment of sad silence before Effie handed a box to Peeta and Haymitch. "Presents for the boys."

Haymitch shook his box. "What's this?" He opened it and pulled out a gold bangle. Beneath the bangle was a white-gold ring and a short note. 'For Jeanetty.'

"Your token. Remember? Hair for me, pin for Katniss. Gold bangle for you. And for Peeta, that gold medallion that we talked about."

"What about Jeanetty," Katniss asked gesturing to said woman.

"Gold metal and I are not the best of friends," she said with a smile. "Effie and I agreed I'd get a new wardrobe. It's already in my closet."

"Thank you, Effie." Peeta's voice was full of emotion.

"We're a team. Aren't we?" Everyone nodded at her. "And I'm so proud of my Victors. So proud." She gave Peeta and Katniss tight hugs. "You're so..." she stopped to take a calming breath. "Well, you both deserved so much better."

"Thank you, Effie," Katniss whispered as she tried to hide her tears.

"I'm truly sorry." Effie tearfully walked out.

Peeta reached for his Mentors. "Thank you, Jeanetty. Haymitch." He hugged them tight. "For everything."

The Mentors didn't say anything as they turned to Katniss. "Any last advice," she asked them.

"Stay alive," Haymitch said simply as Jeanetty hugged her.

The Mentors walked out but Katniss stopped Haymitch. She whispered to him, and he back to her before he rejoined Jeanetty in their room. "Now I have something for you."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" She was leaning against the sill of the window, looking out over the city.

He wrapped his arms around her and brought her hands to her chest. "I had Effie include this in my box. Unfortunately, you won't be able to wear it out in public just yet." He placed the box in her hands and his chin on her shoulder. "I love you."

She opened the box in excited trepidation. Under the gold bangle was the white gold ring with a small diamond perched atop. "Haymitch?"

"We'll be leaving soon, if Heavensbee holds up his end, you can wear it then, but I want you to have it now. Wear it under your shirt, or on a different finger, I don't care." she turned in his arms to face him. "Marry me?"

She held the ring between her fingers, a smile playing at her lips. "I love you. 20 years as your partner, and I have always loved you. Even when you're drunk." They shared a laugh with that. "And I would be more that thrilled to be your wife..."

"But?" His heart hammered in his chest.

"But you must put this ring on my finger first." She held the ring up to him.

He took the ring and slipped it onto the left ring finger, pausing to admire it for a moment. He then kissed her, pushing her gently towards the bed.

A/n: I was very conflicted in my writing going into the 3rd movie. I had 2 ideas of how I wanted it to go. The one that I wrote and one where Jeanetty gets captured with Annie. I had to ask several people at work in order to decide which I should do, and they all chose this one. But if enough people ask about it I'll write the other one out and post it when I'm done.


	13. Chapter 13

District 13

Eight-thirty at night, two days later, Heavensbee called them to the landing pad where an aircraft was waiting for them. Heavensbee met them on the ramp as they boarded. "My congratulations on your engagement."

"We're already on board, Heavensbee, you don't need to butter us up," Jeanetty whispered as she passed.

"Let's go get our girl."

They hovered for hours over the dome as they watched and planned for the extraction of as many Tributes as they could get. They watched as Katniss took aim for the head of the dome and shot her arrow just before the first lightning strike.

They used a retrieval claw to raise Katniss, Beetee, and Finnick into their own ship, but were unable to reach Peeta or Johanna before other Capitol ships entered the arena.

"She's gonna lose it when she finds out about the boy," Haymitch remarked to Heavensbee after he and Jeanetty had bandaged everyone up. Finnick stood with the Mentors and Head Gamemaker as they conversed, Katniss and Beetee were in the passenger transport part of the plane behind a door behind Haymitch. Effie, who had reluctantly joined the Mentors in their escape of the Capitol, sat in the cockpit with the aircrafts crew

"She'll still cooperate, though?" Heavensbee didn't sound concerned, but his face held conflict.

Jeanetty shrugged as she wrapped Finnick's arm. "Without Peeta? There's no guarantee."

"Just tell her win..." Finnick was cut off by the the door opening.

Katniss stood there, looking at the four occupants before Haymitch spoke. "Morning, Sweetheart."

Katniss attempted to attack him with a syringe, but was easily forced into a submissive position against the door frame behind her. Jeanetty finished with Finnick's arm and went for a sedative. "What are you doing with them?!" Katniss fought against her Mentor as hard as she could.

"So you and a syringe against the Capitol?" Haymitch disarmed her as she flailed under him. "See, this is why no one let's you make the plans."

"What the hell are you doing here?" She turned to Finnick over Haymitch's shoulder.

"Stop," he begged. "Stop, just listen."

"We couldn't tell you with Snow watching," Jeanetty soothed, setting a syringe on the table near Heavensbee."It was too risky."

"Better for you to know nothing," Haymitch finished.

Katniss pushed him away. "Where's Peeta?"

"Now, Katniss," Heavensbee started. "You have been our mission from the beginning. The plan was always to get you out. Half the Tributes were in on it. This is the revolution. And you are the Mockingjay. And we're on our way to District 13 right now."

"13?" Katniss looked over to her Mentors before back to Heavensbee.

"13, yes."

"Where's Peeta?"

"He still has his tracker in his arm," Haymitch explained, trying to stall.

"Johanna cut yours out," Jeanetty continued, picking the syringe she had placed down back up.

"Where is he?"

"In the Capitol," Haymitch told her gently. "They got him and Johanna."

Katniss slapped him. "You son of a bitch. You son of a..." She continued to attack him as Jeanetty injected the sedative into the younger woman. "You promised me that you would save him over me! You promised me! You're a liar! You're a liar." Her voice began to weaken as her body was lowered to the floor, her voice betraying her sadness. It was another few seconds before she was completely under.

Finnick picked her up and returned her to the passenger transport area as Jeanetty spoke. "We should keep her out until we reach 13. Even then we should wait for word from 12 before waking her."

"We should get there in a few hours," Heavensbee agreed before turning to Haymitch. "We need to talk should talk about your alcohol consumption."

"What about it?"

"There's no alcohol in 13. You'll be taken to Medical for detox."

"What about Jeanetty?"

"Miss Hamstone will be given quarters with Miss Trinket."

"I should be okay, Haymitch," Jeanetty said walking closer to him. "You need to get completely sober if we're going to be able to live there."

"And if your nightmares comeback?"

"Then they comeback," she responded. "I've lived with them without you before, I can do it now."

They landed in 13 a few hours later, as Heavensbee had said, and we're immediately taken to Medical. The next day, survivors from District 12 were found and rescued, Katniss' mother and sister among them.

Jeanetty's nightmares returned with a vengeance. She sat with Edith and Primrose, Katniss' mother and sister, and listened to their story of the total destruction of 12. She didn't sleep. Like Effie, she refused to leave their room, except in the company of the other Victors.

Days passed. Katniss was awake, but suffering similar nightmares as her Mentor. She had escaped Medical into the service tunnels several times. Jeanetty visited Beetee and he told her of Annie Cresta, Finnick's girlfriend. She had also been captured by the Capitol. Jeanetty told Finnick what Beetee had found; he only asked for a piece of rope to deal with his thoughts.

Katniss went to see the remains of District 12. Jeanetty thought she was a fool to go, but reminded herself that Katniss was still young, and she needed a reminder of who the real enemy was.

An hour after Katniss' return, an announcement to all of Panem was made from the Capitol, filling every screen in District 13. Jeanetty sighed but sat up in her bed to turn and watch. A familiar head of blue hair filled the screen. "Hello, and good evening. And a big welcome to all in Panem. I'm Ceasar Flickerman. And whoever you are, whatever it is you're doing, if you're working, stop working, put down your work. If you're having dinner, stop having dinner. Because you are going to want to witness this tonight.

"There has been rampant speculation about what really happened in the Quarter Quell. And here to shed a little light on the subject for us is a very special guest. Please welcome mr. Peeta Melark." Jeanetty nearly fell out of her bed when she saw Peeta sitting with such ease, as though nothing was wrong. "Peeta, a lot of people feel as though they are in the dark."

"Yeah, I know how they feel," Peeta responded calmly.

"Now set the stage for us. Talk us through what really happened on that final and controversial night."

Jeanetty sat at the edge of her bed as Effie stood beside her. They gripped each-others hands tightly as they watched Peeta, in so easy going a tone, explain what happened. "First off, you have to understand that when your in the Games you only get one wish. It's very costly."

"It costs your life."

"I think it costs more than your life."

"How do you mean? What's more than your life?"

"I mean to murder innocent people, it costs everything that you are."

"Yes," Ceasar said understandingly.

"So you hold on to that one wish. And that night my wish was to save Katniss."

"Yes."

"I should've just run off with her earlier in the day Iike she'd wanted."

"But you didn't. Why? We're you caught up in Beetee's plan?"

"No, I was caught up in trying to play allies. And then they separated us and that's when I lost her. And then the lightning hit and the whole force field around the arena just blew out."

"Yes, but, Peeta, Katniss is the one who blew it out."

"No."

"You saw the footage."

"No, she didn't know what she was doing. Neither of us knew there was a bigger plan going on. We had no idea."

"You had no idea?"

"No."

"Alright. Well, Peeta, there are many who find this suspicious to say the least. It seems as though she was part of a rebel plan."

"Do you think it was part of her plan to be almost killed by Johanna? Or part of the plan to be paralyzed by lightning? No, we were not part of any rebel plan we had no idea what was going on."

"All right," Ceasar conceded softly. "I believe you, Peeta Melark. Thank you."

"Yeah."

"I was going to ask you to speak about the unrest, but I think you might be too upset."

"No, I can."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Thank you."

Peeta sighed and looked right to the camera. "I want everyone who's watching to stop and to think about what a civil war could mean. We almost went extinct once before. And now our numbers are even fewer. Is this really what we wanna do? Kill ourselves off? Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay down their weapons immediately. It's what's best for all of us."

Jeanetty could hear the commotion outside and the the tears fell down her cheeks as Ceasar continued. "Are you calling for a ceasefire?"

"Yeah, I am. I want everyone to stop the senseless violence. This is not the path to change. It's not the path to justice."

Ceasar nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Peeta. Thank you for comming to us with this."

"Shut it off, Effie," Jeanetty asked the still standing woman. "Why would he say such things?"

Effie shut off the projection. "He didn't look that bad. At least their feeding him."

Jeanetty snorted. "That's not much."

The next day there was a knock on their door. "Go away," Effie called drearily from her place at the table, trying to do something with her only dress, Jeanetty across from her. The door opened and Heavensbee stepped in. Effie sighed and turned to him. "Is it visiting hours again?"

"Miss Trinket, you see this door? It opens. From the inside. You've seen Mis Hamstone leave and return several times. I've told you, these are the standard living quarters. Same as everyone. You're not a prisoner. You're free to join the rest of 13."

Effie, who had turned back to her dress, now sharply turned and stood. "Not looking like this, thank you very much."

"We have a bigger issue than wardrobe, Miss Trinket."

"News on Katniss," Jeanetty asked standing.

"She has agreed to be The Mockingjay."

Effie sighed. "That poor thing."

"And your Girl on Fire is burnt out," Heavensbee continued. "I need you to join this team now. I need someone she trusts."

"What about Haymitch?" Effie sat in Jeanetty's vacated seat.

"He's still drying out in some facility a mile down."

Jeanetty sighed and sat again as Effie continued. "Aiding rebels is not really my forte."

"Miss Trinket, your days in the Capitol are over, no matter what happens here. If you wanna play a prisoner of war fine. Stay here and rot. I'll find someone else to be the Mockingjay's escort."

Heavensbee opened the door to take his leave when Effie spoke. "Who?"

The former Gamemaker turned with a scoff. "Anyone can be replaced."

"Not your Mockingjay," she said just as he closed the door, causing him to open it again. "There isn't a soul in this dungeon who knows the first thing about Katniss. You honestly believe one of these cave dweller is going to take my place? No."

Jeanetty had to smile at her long winded acceptance of being on the team. An hour later the trio stood beside President Coin, leader of District 13, as she announced that Katniss had agreed to be the Mockingjay and the conditions that applied. Once she was finished they stepped closer.

"Madam President," Heavensbee began.

"Effie Trinket." The former Capitol Escort held out her hand.

Jeanetty smiled as President Coin took her own hand. "Jeanetty Hamstone," she introduced herself in a loud whisper, still unused to using her voice for everyday conversation with strangers.

"Welcome to 13."

"Madam President, may I say you are so very... consise," Heavensbee said, struggling to find a diplomatic compliment.

"You believe there was more to be said?"

"May I speak freely?"

"You don't appear to do anything else," Coin said honestly.

"I'm only talking about salesmanship," Heavensbee explained. "The thing with revolutions, their a tender flame. They need to be nurtured with a little kindling and warmth. Bit of oxygen."

"Oxygen," Effie agreed.

"One sure way to put it out is to smother it."

"Or to use up all the air in the room." Coin smiled before she left them.

"You know what could use a revolution," Effie asked seriously. "That hair."

Jeanetty showed Effie to the cafeteria where they were found by Katniss and her friend, Gale. "Effie?" Katniss gave the Escort a much needed hug. "What are you doing here?"

Gale sat nest to Jeanetty as Effie answered. "I'm a political refugee."

"Plutarch rescued you?"

"Rescued, yes, that's what he calls it," Effie said dramatically.

"She was with us when we came to get you," Jeanetty said as she sipped her water.

Effie ignored her. "You and I are both in the dark. Now I'm condemned to this life of jumpsuits." She turned to Gale. "it's wonderful to see you again." she reached out her hand and he took it reassuringly. "Can you believe this place," she asked letting go. "I miss coffee," she gestured to her own glass of water. "I never knew anyplace could be so strict. I mean I thought at least in the higher ranks there'd be some side action. I miss my wigs. Luckily, I remembered that this was all the rage when I was coming up." She waved her hand over her wrapped head. "You know, everything old can be made new again." She paused. " Like democracy." She pulled out Cinna's sketchbook. "Which brings me to this."

She handed the leather bound book to Katniss, who opened it. She looked at the design on top. "Cinna. He's dead, isn't he?"

Effie clasped the younger woman's arm gently. "Yes, dear." Katniss sifted through the sketches. "He made Plutarch promise not to show you this until you'd decided to be the Mockingjay on your own." Katniss said nothing. "He knew the risks."

"As we all do," Jeanetty reassured.

"He believed in this revolution."

"He believed in you."

"They're beautiful," Katniss spoke, her voice filled with emotion.

"They have it," Effie told her. "They have the Mockingjay outfit." Katniss looked at her in awe. "There's not much of a prep team here in 13, but we will make you the best dressed rebel in history."

A/n: okay, so it seems like everybody likes the way this is going so I won't write out and post the other idea. Thanks everyone for your input!


	14. Chapter 14

The Mockingjay

"This is not gonna be good," Jeanetty said as the lights in the staging room came on.

Katniss took the podium, dressed in the Mockingjay armor, a pole prop in hand. Effie approached her with a black Mockingjay pin in hand. "Cinna's final touch," she sais as she pinned it to a strap on the breastplate. "Everyone's either gonna wanna kiss you, kill you, or be you."

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect," Heavensbee said from the audio and projection room. "Little wind," he warned once Effie and Jeanetty were out of camera shot. "Okay, Katniss, we're gonna start you down on one knee. And as you rise up you're gonna hold your flag in the air and deliver your line. And remember, you've just stormed the outskirts of the Capitol, arm-in-arm with your brothers and sisters."

"Okay," Katniss said taking her position.

Jeanetty shook her head as Katniss failed her first take. "She's warming up," Effie encouraged.

"You've just been in battle!" Heavensbee yelled at her when she failed her second take. "I'm sorry, excuse my outburst."

Jeanetty wished Haymitch was with them as Heavensbee continued to talk to Katniss. 'He could get her motivated enough to give a halfway decent line,' she thought as Katniss tried again. There was a sarcastic slow clap that brought her to the present. 'The devil, himself.' She smiled as he walked into the room.

"And that my friends is how a revolution dies." He walked closer to the podium. "Hello, Katniss." She just stared at him. "This is how you greet an old friend?"

"Maybe I don't recognize you sober," she said as he blew his nose.

"I guess it looks as bad as it feels," he said before turning to Jeanetty. "You don't look so good either, sweetheart."

"I'm managing," she said as he pulled her close and looked at the bags under her eyes.

"Plutarch, bring what you just got to Coin. I have an idea."

Half an hour later Katniss, Beetee, Effie, Heavensbee, Coin, Gale, Head of 13's security, Boggs, Jeanetty and Haymitch were gathered around the conference room, watching the propos. There was more than a moment of awkward silence.

Haymitch cleared his throat and stood. "Madam President, indulge me for a moment, if you would. Let's everybody think of an incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not when you were jealous of her hairstyle or her dress went up in flames or when she made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. And not where Peeta made you like her. No, I'd like you all to think of one moment where she made you feel something real."

Effie excitedly put her hand up. "When she volunteered for her sister at the Reaping."

"Excellent example," Haymitch said picking up a stylus and using his arm to erase what was on the projection board. "I hope that wasn't important. Okay, 'volunteer for sister'," he continued as he wrote it down. "Good. What else?"

"When she sang that song for little Rue," Effie commented again.

"Oh, yeah. Who didn't get choked up at that?"

"When she chose Rue as an ally, as well," Beetee put in.

"When she stopped the Commander from flogging Gale," Jeanety added.

Haymitch added their comments to the list. "Now, what do all these have in common?"

"No one told her what to do," Gale said evenly

"Unscripted, yes," Beetee agreed. "So maybe we should just leave her alone."

"And wash her face," Boggs added. "She's still a girl. You made her look 35."

Heavensbee spoke up. "The opportunities for spontaneity are obviously lacking below ground. So, what you're suggesting is we toss her into combat?"

"I can't sanction putting an untrained civilian in battle just for effect. This is not the Capitol." Coin shook her head.

"That's exactly what he's suggesting," Jeanetty said to her. "Put her in the field."

"No, we can't protect her."

"It has to come from her," Jeanetty argued. "That's what people respond to. You want a symbol for the revolution? She cannot be coached into it."

"Trust me, I know." Haymitch pointed to himself.

"Maybe there's someplace that's less dangerous," Heavensbee offered.

"District 8. They reported heavy bombing last week," Beetee informed them. "There are no military targets left."

"We can't guarantee her safety," Coin said again.

Katniss finally interupted. "You'll never be able to guarantee my safety. I wanna go."

"And if you're killed?"

"Make sure you get it on camera," she shrugged.

"Then it's agreed?" Heavensbee looked around the table.

Coin sighed. "You'll leave in 2 days, 0800. Rest up, Miss Everdeen."

The group dispersed and Haymitch pulled Jeanetty to the living quarters. "Now don't think for one minute that i don't know what's going on with you, missy. Nightmares come back?"

"After the survivors from 12 arrived. I've gotten a few minutes here and there."

"Well, you and I are going to get some shut eye," he said opening a door and ushering her inside. "This is our room now. Effie had all your things brought here. So, change into your nightwear and come settle on the bed. She sighed but complied, changing into a tank and sleep pants. She crawled onto the two person sleeping area and waited for Haymitch to join her. He pulled her close and she settled into him, her left hand bearing the ring on his chest. "I'm going to have a talk to Coin about marrying us with Finnkck and Annie when we rescue her and the others," he said as he took her hand in his.

"You're very romantic sober," she laughed, looking up at him. "It's almost scary how nice you're being."

"I'm still an asshole," he retorted grumpily.

"Didn't say you wern't, sweetheart," she yawned into her arm.

"If you dont get some sleep right now, I'm gonna drag you by your ear to Medical and get you sedated."

"Empty words," she said tiredly as as she fell into restful slumber.

"That's my girl."


	15. Chapter 15

Burn It Down

Three days later an assembly was called to watch the first of Heavensbees' propos. It was much better than the original. Coin calmed the crowd. "There is no progress without compromise. No victory without sacrifice. But I stand here with the Mockingjay to announce that our moment has arrived." She held Katniss' hand high and the crowds cheered. Katniss stepped away and Coin continued.

"Beetee has increased our use of the airwaves tenfold. we will broadcast this message to all the Districts tonight. The Mockingjay's words inspiring everyone to join the rebellion. Together we will become an alliance to be reaconed with."

The crowed cheered louder and Jeanetty looked to Haymitch next to her. "I think she's getting too much in love with her power." He only nodded in agreement. "How's our Mockingjay?"

"She's still blaming herself for the deaths of those in the Hospital. Holds onto it like a sponge."

"She wont let it go until she brings down the Capitol," Jeanetty said as Coin dissmissed the assembly.

The next day Katniss and Jeanetty were working togeather in the arboretum.

"What's that?"

"Hmm?" Jeanetty lifted her head questioningly to the younger woman.

"The song you've been humming the last few hours."

"Oh. I didn't even notice." She chuckled a little. "It's a song my father used to sing when he was happy. I don't know why he did, the song is really depressing. But it somehow made him feel better when he did. My mother said it was his working song, sang it in the mines to time himself as he worked."

"What happened to them?"

Jeanetty's head bowed and she sniffed. "Things happen when an outlying District Tribute wins the Games. You get bathed in riches, crowned at the Capitol, celebrated as a hero." She took a seat on one of the benches and took a breath to steady her wavering voice. "I hadnt been back a week. I was out shopping at the Hob getting buttons for my little sisters new was 10. I collected a few other items for mother and father and made my way home." She took another breath as Katniss sat beside her. "We still lived in town. Wanted to work and spread our newfound wealth. I came back to our house on the edge of town, the one where I was born and grew up in, and it was aflame.

Katniss gaspped as Jeanetty's tears fell freely. "I was too late to save them. They had all been trapped inside by Peacekeepers. One of them handed me a copy of the orders. 'For acts of treason against Panem.' That was their crime. That was the reason they burned. Then he handed me a white rose." She wiped the tears from her face and took a third deep breath. "My father was a miner. My mother was teaching me and my sister to cultivate herbs for our pharmacy."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Katniss. It's good to talk about it every once in a while."

Katniss paused a moment before taking the wearied woman's hand. "Teach me the song?"

Jeanetty smiled. "Okay," she said wearily.

A/n: short and sweet. Perfect for a Monday.


	16. Chapter 16

"Restraint and Decency"

Jeanetty cried as she watched the newest propo with Haymitch, Plutarch, Beetee, and Coin. "Wear a necklace of hope side-by-side with me."

"That line was originally 'necklace of rope,'" Jeanetty and Plutarch pointed out simultaneously before he continued, "I had it changed to 'necklace of hope.'"

"Wow," Haymitch said sarcastically. "You are a true wordsmith."

Plutarch nodded at him. "Little on the nose, but, of course, so is war."

"Every district's seeing this?" Coin looked to Beetee.

"Yes. But not the Capital. I designed the signal defense system for them. But I can't find my way through it." He laughed to himself. "Guess I did my job too well. At the time, I was just thinking of the science of it all. We'll get through it."

Later that day a man from security requested Haymitch and Jeanetty report to command. Ceasar was sitting with Peeta, once again conversing on recent events.

Peetalooked terrible, as though recent events were not the only thing keeping him up at night. "Tonight, we've received reports of derailed trains, of granaries on fire, and of a savage attack on the hydroelectric dam in District 5. I'm begging for restraint and decency." The imaged fuzzed to a piece of the new propos. "Katniss?"

"That's it. That's our footage," Coin pointed out.

"Beetee's in," Plutarch commented.

"He sees it. He sees our propo," Coin continued excitedly.

The two pieces of footage fought on screen before Peeta's face came back. "Katniss are you there? Katniss?"

Ceasar spoke from off camera. "Peeta, please continue. You were telling us about these savage attacks."

"Yeah," Peeta said nodding in agreement, though his voice was rough. "The attack on the dam was a callous and inhuman act of destruction..." The picture flickered to the propo of Katniss singing and back. "Think about it." Peeta seemed on the verge of tears. "How will this end? What will be left?" Jeanetty went to stand next to Katniss, putting her arms around the silently sobbing girl. "No one can survive this. No one's safe now. Not here in the Capitol. Not in any of the Districts." Peeta seemed to realize something. "They're coming, Katniss. They're gonna kill everyone." Someone tried pulling him out of his chair. "And in District 13 you'll be dead by morning."

The screen cut off and Haymitch spoke. "He's warning us. That was a warning."

Katniss turned to Coin. "We have to get him out of there before they kill him."

Coin was looking at air space security screens. "Is there anything in the air?"

"Nothing on Doppler, ma'am."

"He was in the mansion. He may have overheard something," Coin mused.

"Possibly," Plutarch agreed.

Coin thought for a moment before making her decision. "It's time for an air raid drill."

Haymitch pulled Jeanetty out of Command as the drill warnings went off around them. They proceeded to level 40 as instructed and curled around each other as the drill became real. The entire complex shook with the force of the bombs hitting the surface. Hours passed before the booming stopped. Hours more they were let back into the complex.

That's when Plutarch found them. "Coin wants Katniss to tell the Capitol and Snow that we're still alive."

"We're coming too," Haymitch decided, Plutarch simply nodded and showed them the way.

Boggs led the group up the stairs and through the rubble. The first things they saw were white roses. Thousands of white roses were scattered in a crater as they exited District 13 compound.

"Why drop these?" Gale watched as Katniss picked one up.

"For me," Katniss said turning to him numbly.

"Ready to go, Katniss?" The director of the film crew, Cressida, drew her attention. "We're gonna do this just like District 8. Tell me about the roses." Katniss looked lost in thoughts. "Tell Snow 13 is alive and well." Katniss whispered something with a look of realization. "Let's try again. Can you speak up? We don't have a mic on you. '13 is alive and well and so am I'." Katniss whispered again, looking worried. "Katniss?"

"You can do it, Katniss," Gale encouraged.

"I can't do this." Cressida repeated the line but Katniss heard none of it. "He's just gonna keep..." Haymitch and Jeanetty approached her waving off the cameras. "He's never gonna stop."

Haymitch folded his arms around her. "It's okay Katniss."

"No," she pushed him back slightly. "He warned me. He warned me about this. He's doing this because I'm the Mockingjay! He's punishing Peeta to punish me. No. No, I can't do this."

"Katniss," Cressida argued.

"Don't make me do this!"

"Let her go," Boggs said as Effie led Katniss back inside the compound.

"We should tell Coin," Haymitch said

"I want to talk to Finnick," Cressida pressed.

"Better me than you," Jeanetty said. "You go talk to Coin. I'll see Finnick about the propo."

An hour later word had come of sending a rescue team for Peeta and the others. Beetee explained on how to use a live feed propo to disrupt communications frequencies. Finnick agreed to talk to the camera about his life in the Capitol. He asked Jeanetty to join him up top. She agreed and they, as well as the camera crew, resurfaced.

"Okay, Finnick?"

"Yeah," he said giving a tight smile to Jeanetty.

Cressida gently directed him. "Go in the center there. Those rocks. Castor, go left. Pollux, you're with me. Jeanetty, do you want to speak too?"

Jeanetty just shrugged. "I don't know if I can."

Cressida nodded in understanding and turned back to Finnick. "So, we'll go straight to camera. Okay? Finnick?"

"Yeah." Finnick addressed the Capitol, describing what happened to Victors after the Games. How Snow had gained and kept his position through poison and fear. How the poison was killing him slowly.

"Hold up, Finnick," Cressida said interrupting him.

"What's going on?"

"We got cut off from the Capitol."

"Katniss!" Jeanetty and Finnick ran back inside the compound.

A/n: So im thinking of posting the rest of this over a few days so I have it done by Christmas. What do yall think?


	17. Chapter 17

That's What Happened

Three hours passed. Jeanetty and Finnick sat with Katniss in Finnick' s quarters, which were closest to Medical. Haymitch stood watch outside Medical, waiting for some sign the rescue team had returned. Boggs turned the corner and nodded to him. He ran back to Finnick' s quarters. He opened the door and stuck his head in. "They're back."

The quartet of Victors hurried back to Medical and burst through the doors. The first bed had doctors and nurses surrounding it. "I don't want that!" A doctor was pushed away as Katniss and Jeanetty ran to it. Johanna sat on the bed removing every piece of equipment from her person. She only smirked at Katniss before turning to Jeanetty

"Jo." Jeanetty helped her friend remove the last of the medical equipment before standing back tearily.

Johanna ran her hand over her bald head. "You don't have to stand so far away, Jean."

Jeanetty sat on the bed close to her friend. "I can't say anything."

"You could start with 'you look like shit'."

"You'd counter with 'what else is new'."

"Then you'd give some weird bullshit story that would leave me in tears."

"I recently gave birth to a full grown hippo." Both women laughed a little. "What the hell happened in the Capitol, Jo?"

There was a commotion from one of the rooms. "That happened."

Jeanetty jumped up and ran for one of the examination rooms. She opened the door in time to see Boggs knock Peeta out with a prep tray. She scrambled to the young man's side. "Peeta! What happened?" She looked up to Haymitch.

"He took one look at her and attacked," he responded, righting himself to a semi standing position, panting heavily.

She helped the doctors and nurses load both of the 'Star-Crossed Lovers' onto gurneys before going to Haymitch's side. "Are you okay?"

"A little banged up. I'll be fine." He kissed her forehead. "You keep company with Johanna. I'll tell Plutarch what happened. Maybe he can shed some light onto this."

Jeanetty returned to Johanna and listened as the younger woman slowly recounted her time in the arena. She asked no questions but gave answers when Johanna noticed the ring on her hand. "But that was before everything was shot to shit. Before we didn't save you."

"Don't get all weepy on me now."

"I'm trying," Jeanetty said whipping at her cheeks. "I know the object was Katniss, but we got Beetee and Finnick, too. Why couldn't we get you?" Johanna didn't say a word but wrapped her arms around her older friend.

That's how Prim found them half an hour later. "Plutarch wants to talk to us."

Johanna shooed them away. When they entered Katniss's room, Haymitch, Beetee, and Boggs were there as well. Katniss was sitting up against against the back of her bed. Perm went to her sister's side as Jeanetty went to Haymitch. No one said anything until Plutarch tiredly stood in the doorway.

He sat down with a sigh and rubbed his hand over his face. "It's called 'hijacking'. We don't know how long the Capitol's been doing this to Peeta."

"It's fear conditioning," Beetee continued. "Enhanced with tracker jacker venom. "He looked to Katniss. "You were stung your first Games, remember? The venom puts the subject in a dissociative state. And then they torture him. With shocks and beatings, and strip down his identity. And then all of that suffering and fear is redirected. Associated with other memories or a person."

"They can change his memories of Katniss," Prim asked quietly.

Beetee nodded. "To make her seem life threatening."

"They turned him into a weapon, Katniss," Haymitch explained to the confused looking girl.

"To kill you," Jeanetty added softly.

"But you can reverse it," Prim questioned.

"Fear is the most difficult thing to overcome. We're programmed to remember fear the best."

"It's new terrain," Plutarch said. "But we've pu together a team. I'm optimistic."

Katniss looked unconvinced.

The next day Coin held an assembly, declaring the Victors held captive freed and revealing the next step in the plan on the Capitol. Jeanetty and Haymitch stayed in Medical with Johanna.

A few days later Katniss' neck brace was removed and Plutarch showed her to an observation room with Jeanetty and Haymitch. They watched as Prim entered Peeta's room and spoke with him. When he began vocally lashing out at her, Jeanetty wrapped an arm around Katniss.

"Katniss?" Plutarch looked to the young woman. "This is just a conditioned response. It's not him."

"No, it's not him," she agreed absently as she continued to listen to Peeta call her a Capitol Mutt. She left quickly, presumably to go see Coin.

Jeanetty turned to Haymitch. "What can we do for her?"

"All we can do is hope he'll get better with time, which I have no doubts he will," he said placing an arm around her shoulder.

She watched as Peeta was sedated by a doctor. "Perhaps you should go see him," Plutarch said slowly.

"No." Her response was sharp and fast. "If he wants me he'll say so."

Plutarch only nodded as he made his exit. She sighed and Haymitch pulled her closer. "He will get better. You need to stop worrying about him, and start worrying about what your gonna wear to your own wedding."

She turned her he'd to him. "What?"

"I've talked to Finnick and we agreed that you ladies need a few weeks to sort out the details. We're gonna do this jointly."

"Are you saying you want this to happen sooner than later?"

"I'm saying it's been over 20 years since you survived the Games and came into my home. This is our time to grab our happiness, and I'm not letting you say otherwise." They chuckled together. "And as soon as we're pronounced man and wife, I'm goning to make sure no one sees us until I'm certain that you and I are gonna live through this war."

"What about Katniss? Peeta? We can't disappear into 13 while they still need our help."

"Then we'll tell the Everdeens' how to find us, but not Plutarch."

She laughed. "Definitely not Plutarch."


	18. Chapter 18

A/n: WARNING! MATURE RATED MATERIAL AHEAD! Yes it's short, but i still have to tell you. Also, sorry its late.

Rejoice and Recover

There was chaos in Medical. Katniss had decided to go to District 2 in hopes of gaining access to the weapons storage facilities. Hymitch found Jeanetty sitting with Annie, the women planning their upcoming joint wedding. "Hey, you're back early." Jeanetty stood from her place beside Annie's bed. Katniss' unconscious form passed behind him on a gurney. "Oh, my goodness! What happened?"

"Damn fool girl went and got herself held hostage for a minute. She said her piece and was let go. Stood up and gave a very beautiful speech."

"And," she asked impatiently when he paused.

"She barely finished when one of the loyalists shot her. She'll be okay," he added quickly. "It hit her in the breast plate."

"Thank Cinna's foresight then. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, not a scratch. She hasn't woken up yet though."

"Getting shot can be very trying on the body."

"Enough about her for now," he said waving his hand for her to stop. "How are the plans going?"

Annie smiled. "The wedding itself is set for next week. Coin has agreed to let us use some spare white cloth to make our dresses. It's very gauzy and there's not much to work with."

"We were just deciding on what we should do for you men."

"We can wear whatever's nicest from the things we brought with us," Finnick said coming up behind Haymitch. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like sometime with my future wife. Doctors are finally letting her go."

"Congratulations!" Jeanetty smiled to the younger couple. "Don't worry, the complex isn't as scary as it first appears. Come to the Arboretum when you're settled."

A week passed frantically. Jeanetty and Annie were busy with wedding plans, but Jeanetty still made time to see Johanna and Katniss. All too soon she was standing before District 13 in the Arboretum with Haymitch standing before her, holding her excited hands steady with his own. Neither remembered the vows that they gave before the music started playing. Nor did they notice much of the dancing, having slunk out of the way at the first possible moment.

Soon they were back in their quarters, clothes scattered about them as their bodies moved in a well practiced concert of passion they had long ago developed. Soft sounds of pleasure rang through the small apartment as the stroked and built a fire of desire. Sleep came sparingly for them that night. Several times she woke him by straddling his waist or he drew shapes across her exposed skin.

The next morning, contrary to Haymitch's attempts against it, they left their quarters to interact with people. That's when they found out that Katniss had left in the middle of the night.

Peeta had asked for Jeanetty early the next morning and she went to see him cautiously. She walked into his room. "Hey kid. I was told you wanted to see me."

Peeta was silent for a moment before he spoke. "You've never lies to me. Some of my memories are a little fuzzy. Snow never spoke about you. Or Haymitch." He paused to look at his lap. "Tell me what happened."

She nodded and sat on the foot of his bed and began to tell him everything; from the time he went into the Games to that moment. "Now Katniss is in the rebel camp at the Capitol."

"And I'm here." Peeta said looking at the restraints on the bed. "My name is Peeta Mellark. I'm from District 12. District 12 no longer exists. It was destroyed on Snow's orders. My best friend is my Mentor. She is always honest with me."

"And I always will be." She undid the restraints on his legs. "You are a strong man, Peeta. Both in body and spirit. Your mind was taken from you, destroyed, and put back as it was. But you can sort out what's real. You know the truth. You are Peeta Mellark. You come from District 12. You have control over yourself." She undid the restraints from his middle and his wrists. "Time to get out of bed, sleepy head." She held her hands out to him as he sat up in his bed. He weakly took her hands and stood. "Geez, kid, didn't the Capitol feed you?"

"I can't remember," he thought out loud as he took a step. "Maybe. The food here isn't to memorable either."

"I think that's the same no matter who you talk to." He chuckled at that, walking around his bed. Plutarch entered the room. "You really shouldn't barge in here unannounced," she said without looking at who had come in.

"Well, your husband 'kindly requested' me to remove you from the room when you released him from his restraints. It only helps that I would like to talk with Peeta."

"Very well," Jeanetty agreed, helping Peeta back into the bed. "You remember Plutarch Heavensbee?" The young man nodded. "Good. I'll be back after I've calmed the bear."

She left the room and was immediately engulfed in her husbands arms. "You are lucky that boy trusts you so much."

"I'm fine. His memories of us weren't altered, it seems, just downplayed."

"You shouldn't have removed the restraints."

"We were in there for hours. He didn't react badly once."

He sighed. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I know him like you know Katniss. Better than she knows herself."

"Let's hope you're right," Plutarch said as he exited Peeta's room. "Peeta's agreed to go to the Capitol in a few days time."

"What?"

"That's not a good idea."

"Relax," Plutarch cut them off. "Boggs is already on his way to the front with Cressida and her crew. They're going to be filming propos. I've asked Peeta to join them."

"What would you do that?"

"Because it would show the Capitol he's on our side. It will draw more people to our side."

"And you can guarantee his mental stability in a war zone?"

"With you working with him over the next few days? Yes, I do."


	19. Chapter 19

A/n: I'm so sorry this is so late, but on the plus side, we're almost done and the epilogue should come out tomorrow.

A Hard Won Ending

As Plutarch promised, Peeta was shipped out to the frontlines. He kept repeating two lines to himself to keep himself sane. No word came for a few days. Then there was talk of a dual bomb outside the City Circle, killing children and rebel medical teams, including Prim. The nine remaining Victors were called to the Capitol.

Jeanetty stood over Katniss and Peeta as he slept with his head on her bed, her hand in his. She smiled down at the young couple before adjusting Katniss' leads and bags. She had been volunteered as a nurse when the medical teams had been killed.

A day later Katniss woke up and attempted to get up. "Hey, I need you to lie back, honey." Katniss struggled a little. "You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay." Jeanetty turned to a fellow nurse. "Can you get Dr. Everdeen and Mr. Abernathy? Tell them Katniss is waking up?"

An hour later Katniss was awake and functioning, her mother tending her burns. Her Mentors stood at the foot of the bed. "What happened?" Katniss looked to the other Victors for news.

"Fight was over after the Capitol dropped those bombs to defend the palace," Haymitch said. "The rebels walked right in."

Edith continued to tend to her daughters skin, making her jump. "Don't Katniss," She chided softly. "The ointment is working."

"Everybody felt it," Jeanetty continued. "Peacekeepers, Palace Guards. They had kids in there, too."

"It was..." Haymitch took a breath. "It was over after that."

Katniss let the words sink in before slowly looking at her mother. "Mom?" No words were spoken between mother and daughter.

It took a few weeks for Katniss to heal from her burns. She was relocated to the Presidential Palace with the other Victors and high ranking officers on a cold winters morning.

Jeanetty quickly found she was pregnant. Her stomach had become more firm as the weeks passed. The Capitol's medical centers were better equipped than District 13's and her suspicions were proven true. Haymitch had been more than pleased with the news.

The weeks passed before all nine surviving Victors sat in a circle with President Coin. Katniss was the last to arrive. "What's this?"

"The remaining Victors," Coin said with a smile. "Won't you join us?" The Victors sat and Coin continued. "I have invited you all here for several reasons. First to congratulate the Abernathy's and Mrs. Odair on their upcoming children." There was a round of congratulations before she continued. "Second, I have an announcement. I have taken the burden and the honor of declaring myself Interim President of Panem."

Haymitch scoffed and everyone looked to him. "'Interim'? Exactly how long is that interim?"

"We have no way of knowing for certain," Coin said shaking her head. "But it's clear that the people are too emotional right now to make a rational decision. We'll plan an election when the time is right. But I have called you here for a far more important vote. A symbolic vote. This afternoon, we will execute Snow. Hundreds of his accomplices also await their deaths. Capitol officials, Peacekeepers, torturers, Gamemakers. But the danger is, once we begin, the rebels will not stop calling for retribution. Thirst for blood is a difficult urge to satisfy. So I offer an alternative plan. Majority may approve it. No one may abstain. The proposal is this. In lieu of barbaric executions, we hold a symbolic Hunger Games."

Johanna was the first to vocally react. She laughed. "You wanna have another Hunger Games with the Capitol's children?"

"You're joking?"

"Not in the slightest," Coin said to Peeta.

Jeanetty scoffed. "Is this Plutarch's idea?"

"It was mine. It balances the need for revenge with the least loss of human life," she said calmly. "You may cast your votes."

"No." Peeta was the first to reject the notion.

"Not a chance in hell," Jeanetty agreed quickly.

"Obviously not. This is crazy," Peeta continued.

"Well, I think it's more than fair. Snow's got a granddaughter," Johanna approved. "I say 'yes'."

"So do I," said a Victor from District 4.

"Let them have a taste of it," another Victor from District 5 agreed.

"You guys, this way of thinking is what started the uprisings," Peeta pointed out.

"I vote 'no'," Annie said tearily. "So would Finnick if he were here."

"Well, he's not," Johanna snapped. "Because Snow killed him."

"No." Beetee gave no explanation or argument for a moment. "We need to stop viewing each other as enemies."

"It's down to Katniss and Haymitch," Coin urged quietly.

"I get to kill Snow."

"I expected no less of you."

"Then I vote 'yes'," Katniss said firmly. "For Prim."

"Haymitch?"

The two Mentors of District 12 looked over to the young woman. She looked back with a plan in her eyes. Haymitch looked down at his cup of coffee. "I'm with the Mockingjay."

"That carries the vote. Excellent. We'll announce the Games tonight after the execution." Coin adjourned the meeting.

Jeanetty and Haymitch readied themselves for Snow's execution. They made their way to the Avenue of Tributes and stood with Peeta and Johanna off to one side, the other Victors standing opposite them.

Katniss made her entrance, walking the entire length of the Avenue, and took her place between the two groups. Coin addressed the gathered crowd. "Welcome to the new Panem. Today on the Avenue of Tributes, all of Panem, a free Panem, will watch more than a mere spectacle. We are gathered to witness an historic moment of justice. Today, the greatest friend of the revolution will fire the shot to end all wars. May her arrow signify the end of tyranny and the beginning of a new era. Mockingjay, May your aim be as true as your heart is pure."

Katniss drew her arrow and took aim. She surprised none of the Victors from District 12 when she shot Coin, though shock did register on Peeta's face when she reached into her breastplate. Rebels and Presidential Security dragged Katniss away from the clamoring crowd as they made their way to Snow.

"Peeta!" Jeanetty pulled on the young mans' arm. "Let's go talk to Plutarch and see what can be done." He nodded numbly and allowed himself to be pulled off the Avenue.

"What did you take from her?" Haymitch and Johanna stood on either side of the pair.

Peeta opened his hand. "Nightlock pill." He let the words hang.

"Why would she have that?"

"Boggs gave them out to the squad Incase they were captured."

No one said anything. They all knew Katniss was mourning her sisters death. Haymitch spoke with Plutarch about what would happen to her while Peeta mulled over his options for his own recovery.

"I just want to be certain that I'm not going to be a danger to anyone."

"That doesn't mean you have to stay," Jeanetty argued.

"Just three more months."

"Then I'm staying with you."

"What about the baby?"

"What about the baby? It'll be nice to know if I'm gonna have a boy or a girl before I go home. Can't do that back in 12."

"What about Haymitch?"

"He's more than likely to go back with Katniss. No doubt Plutarch will get them a ride away from here."

Peeta sighed. "There's no getting rid of you is there?"

"Nope," She smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

Comming Home

Jeanetty stood by Effie at the of the Palace and watched Katniss and Haymitch descend. "I couldn't let you go without a proper goodbye," Effie said to them. She sighed and pulled Katniss in. "It's your job to take care of yourself now, Katniss." She took in the form of the younger woman. Promise me you'll find it."

Katniss looked confused. "Find what?"

"The life of a Victor."

"Goodbye, Effie," she said pulling in the former Escort close once more.

"Goodbye, my girl."

Haymitch approaches next. "Effie, don't be a stranger," he said giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Take care of her."

"I will"

Jeanetty was talking to Katniss. "And don't let the old bear get too ornery."

"I won't," Katniss laughed as Haymitch approached his wife.

"I'm still a little mad at you."

"Regardless of what happens, I will see you in three months. By then you might feel the baby kick."

"Three months is too much time. If you're not back by then, I'm gonna drag you back."

"Kicking and screaming?"

"I promise." He kissed her deeply. "I love you. And the baby."

"We love you too, Haymitch," she said kissing him back. "Now go, before you miss the train.

He nodded and followed after Katniss. The two women watched them go before returning to the palace and their respective duties.

Over the next three months, Peeta made great progress in his recovery. When the snow melted he and Jeanetty Made their way back to District 12. Jeanetty immediately went to one of the homes in Victors Village That was still standing and found Haymitch inside. He was cleaning the kitchen, and amazingly mostly sober, though she did see an open bottle of whiskey on the table.

"It's a boy," she said startling him. He whipped around to look at her, surprised by both her quiet entrance and the size of her stomach.

"What-? How-? When-?" He shook his head. "Forget it. Come here." He pulled her in as close as he could without crushing the baby. "I've missed you."

"I did promise only three months."

Peeta came in behind his Mentors. "Where's Katniss?"

"Out hunting," Haymitch told him before approaching and giving him a hug as well. "How're you doin?"

"Better. Most of my real memory has returned." He pulled away and looked around the house. "When did Katniss leave?"

"Not long ago," Haymitch said clearing off the table. "She usually goes out and comes back before dinner."

The younger man nodded. "I'm gonna go for a walk, then. I'll be back."

He left quickly and Haymitch turned a questioning look to his wife. "I think he's been cooped up in the big city too long. He's been very excited to get back." He nodded in understanding before pouring her a lemonade. "You are surprisingly sober."

"Yeah, well, I figured my kid doesn't need a drunk of a father. Besides, I've only recently realized how bad alcohol actually tastes." She looked at him surprised. "What?"

"You think alcohol tastes bad. It's a strange thing to hear to come out of your mouth," she said teasingly.

They sat and continued to talk. An hour later they looked out the front window to see Peeta planting something in the center of the walk way. "What's he doing?"

"They're primroses," Jeanetty said softly.

Later, Katniss returned home and found Peeta and the flowers. After a small breakdown they returned to the house. The four sat around the table eating dinner, watching President Paylor being sworn into office. "There's Plutarch, right in the middle of it all."

"And they say no one ever wins the Games," Haymitch said placing his hand over Jeanetty's.

It was a rainy day in the fall when the water was cold but not frozen and falling down in sheets. That's when Jeanetty gave birth to her son.

It was a year later when Katniss brought her own son into the world. Life was quiet for the former Victors in the former District 12, but they wouldn't change a thing.

Fin

A/n: hey everyone! I just want to thank you all for reading. Again, I'm very sorry I couldn't find the initial list of readers whom I promised I would inform when I re-posted this story; I am still looking for it! And I want to thank all of the lovely reviews I've gotten, both posted and PM, they helped a lot. Thank you!


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